A tale of elves and dwarves
by Captainfredrickwentworth
Summary: Eruanna is a young elf whose only wish is to find her sister Aranel. But when she employs a certain wizard to help her, things get a little crazy. Without knowing exactly how it happened, she finds herself off on a quest to the lonely mountain with a wizard, a hobbit and a whole company of dwarves. Will she find her sister or is she too late? FilixOC ThorinxOC (separate OCs)
1. Chapter 1

**So I've read quite a few of these since BofA and I quite liked the idea of writing my own one with two OCs. This first OC is not Thorin's one. His one comes in later in the story. Anyway, I just thought I may as well publish this first chapter and see what reaction it gets. Please don't hate. I've never written a Hobbit fanfiction before so I'm a little nervous. Happy reading :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters nor the written events. All i own are my two OCs Eruanna and Aranel**

A young elf sat alone in a clearing as she waited for her friend. The wizard had promised her that he would meet her before the sun set and she was getting anxious. She ran her hands through her mid-length brown hair and quickly braided the sides back to form a neat weave behind her head.

A sudden noise to her left startled her and she notched an arrow in her bow and pointed it in the direction of the sound.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice wavering a little in fright.

"Eruanna?" a familiar voice called and she breathed I sigh of relief before lowering her weapon.

"Gandalf," she laughed breathily, "I thought you were going to attack me".

The old wizard stepped out of the tree line and chuckled. "My dear elf, there is nothing in these woods that could harm you. We are near Hobbiton now and it is one of the safest places in Middle Earth".

"I still don't understand why we came here," Eruanna frowned. "Wouldn't somewhere a little more...I mean...my sister won't be here among the hobbits, Gandalf".

"You'll see," Gandalf shot her a quick smile and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

Eruanna rolled her eyes and followed his lead back through the forest and out into a beautiful valley of rolling green hills.

Xxx

They soon reached a pleasant place with little doors and windows cut into the sides of the hills. Eruanna found herself swivelling around regularly to take in the scenery. Despite the fading light the place was still beautiful. Beautiful and peaceful.

She could imagine the comfortable life the people of such a place could have. Their lives would be filled with such peace, oblivious to the darkness in the world around them. It was like the place was, like Rivendell, one of the last areas of undisturbed paradise left in Middle Earth.

"Welcome to Hobbiton, Eruanna," Gandalf smiled warmly down at her. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," she breathed. "The stories about this place do nothing to describe its beauty. I believe I would be happy to spend my whole life here".

"Well enjoy it while you can," Gandalf nodded seriously. "Tomorrow we will leave again and this place will be the last peaceful refuge we will be likely to see for some time".

"Where are we going tomorrow?"

"I think I better leave that up to the rest of them to explain," Gandalf nodded and continued up towards the top of the hill where a blue light was shining. Eruanna frowned curiously as she saw that the blue light was a mark carved into a circular door.

"What is this place?"

"You do ask a lot of questions," Gandalf chuckled. "Knock on the door and see".

Eruanna shot him a frightened look before stepping forward and rapping her knuckles carefully on the door. There was a pause and a scuffling of feet followed by an irritated sound. Eruanna looked up at Gandalf with beseeching eyes but he just laughed quietly.

The door was flung open and a young hobbit appeared with a grumpy look on his plump little face. Eruanna smiled despite herself. He was quite cute really. She had never seen a hobbit in the flesh before and she found him fascinating. He was wearing a very neat little outfit and his hair was a tame nest of brown locks. What nearly made her laugh were the big hairy feet protruding out the bottom of his trousers.

He cleared his throat and her eyes shot back up to his face. It was then that she realised how very irritated he looked.

She quickly removed her cloak and draped it over her arm. "I'm sorry to bother you," she murmured, "but Gandalf and me"- she turned to Gandalf only to find that he was no longer there.

The hobbit's eyes widened when he saw the shape of her ears and he bowed low. "My lady elf," he spoke reverently.

Eruanna smiled at him awkwardly and bowed herself. Her hair fell forward off her shoulders and dangled in front of her.

"Uh, I'm Bilbo by the way, Bilbo Baggins. What's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

Eruanna smiled. "Eruanna, at your service," she nodded again and Bilbo smiled.

"That's a nice name. Are you with the rest of them?" he jerked a thumb behind him with mild annoyance.

"I-uh I guess so," she shrugged. "Gandalf brought me here so I suppose this is where I'm supposed to be".

Bilbo nodded and they both stood there awkwardly. "Uh Bilbo?"

"Yes?"

"Could I maybe come inside? I don't want you to let all of the warm air out and it's quite cool out here".

"Oh, yes of course!" he jumped out of the way to let her in. "I didn't know elves got cold".

"Some don't as much," Eruanna shrugged. "I guess some are more sensitive than others". She ducked to avoid the wooden doorframe and looked around the cosy home. The furnishings were a beautiful variety of treated woods and warm colours. She breathed in deeply the scent of oil used for staining furniture and the faint smell of food. Her stomach growled and she slapped a hand to it in surprise.

"Are you hungry my lady?" Bilbo asked. "Come through here and we'll see if there's anything left".

She followed him down a corridor and had to duck again to avoid bumping her head. The whole house was just so precious in her eyes. Everything was designed perfectly to assure maximum comfort and safety. How she envied these hobbits with their carefree lives and comfortable dwellings.

"The others are right through here," Bilbo sighed and gestured to somewhere right of them where a huge ruckus could be heard.

"Others?" she asked curiously.

"The dwarves of course," he huffed angrily. "I can't remember their names, only that they're clearing out my pantry as we speak!"

Eruanna raised her eyebrows and peeked around the corner to where several dwarves were stuffing their faces with Bilbo's food. A sickly smell filled her nostrils and she screwed her face up a little. 'Do they even bath?'

"That's awful," she shook her head. "And they just invited themselves in?"

The hobbit shrugged. "They thought they were invited".

Another knock at the door rang through the house and Eruanna froze. Bilbo huffed again and made his way to the door. "Go through and see if they left you anything".

She nodded and cautiously but hesitated just outside of the room. A loud thump vibrated through the floor and Eruanna shot back up the passage to see Gandalf standing behind a large pile of dwarves that were now spread on the floor.

The lot on the floor smelt even worse than the ones already in the kitchen. If she was going to spend an extended amount of time with them then she'd have to get used to their scent.

"Master Baggins!" Gandalf exclaimed over the top of the dwarves.

Eruanna shook her head and chuckled at Gandalf. "It's good to see you didn't just abandon me".

"Never," Gandalf smiled warmly at her and she grinned back.

With a few choice words and various grunts, the dwarves made their way past both Bilbo and Eruanna and down the corridor to the kitchen. None of them had even bothered to look at her, for which she was grateful.

"Gandalf," she murmured quietly. "You never told me there'd be dwarves".

"Me either," Bilbo folded his arms across his chest and scowled.

"Didn't I?" he asked innocently. "I'm sure I must have said something".

Eruanna's eyes narrowed playfully at the wizard. "I hope you know what you're doing".

"Always," Gandalf smiled at her and gestured towards the kitchen. "Care to join us?"

Both she and Bilbo followed closely behind him as they entered the kitchen and the dwarves ceased all conversation. Every pair of dwarfish eyes in the room was locked on her and she tried her best to hold her head high.

"What is the meaning of this?!" one of them stood up and pointed an accusing finger at her. "Gandalf, you did not say you were bringing an _elf_!" he spat the last word is disgust.

"Nice to meet you!" two younger voices chorused. She looked up shyly to see two very handsome young dwarves waving at her. The younger one was a brunette and was to loudest of the two by the looks of it, while the older had sandy blonde hair and smiled shyly back at her. She nodded to them and a small smile spread across her lips.

"I do not have a problem with the lass but I cannot say the same for how our leader will react," a dwarf with a white beard said gravely.

"I'm sure that he will warm to the idea after he sees her in action," Gandalf shook his head dismissively.

Eruanna felt rather uncomfortable yet again. The two younger dwarves had given her a warm welcome but the other dwarves did not seem to like her at all. The other dwarf had said that their leader might not like her. Who was this man that would judge her so harshly?

She stepped back until her quiver hit the wall and she slid down it to sit on the floor. The dwarves seemed to have forgotten her existence and went back to their merry gathering. After a few minutes she looked up to find Bilbo heading in her direction with a small cake in his hand.

"Here, I saved you this," he handed it to her and she gave him a wide smile.

"Thank you, Bilbo".

He nodded and went back to the others while she ate the small treat. Once she was done she carefully wiped any crumbs from her coat and ran her fingers gently over the embroidery. It had been a gift from her sister before she disappeared and Eruanna had worn it every day since as a reminder of what she was doing. No one would stop her from finding her sister, even if they held her prisoner for years. She wouldn't give up that easily.

The sound of a throat being cleared startled her and she looked up to see the two young dwarves in front of her. It surprised her that the scent coming from those two wasn't anything like the others. In fact it was almost pleasant, being a blend of both freshly cut grass and rain.

"Hello," the brunette smiled and offered her his hand. She eyed it carefully before taking it and shaking it firmly.

"Hello," she murmured.

"So what's your name then?" the same dwarf asked and she smiled at his forwardness.

Her eyes flickered across to the blonde's and he smiled shyly back at her but didn't speak. Looking back to the first dwarf she stood up and pulled her coat tightly around her.

"Eruanna," she smiled. "And you?"

"I'm Kili," the brunette replied, "and this is my brother Fili".

Fili bowed to her and reached forward to shake her hand. She paid more attention than she should have to the softness of his hands despite the calluses covering them.

He released her hand but did not break eye contact with her. A warm feeling spread across her chest, but before she could put a name to it she was distracted by Kili.

"You're very pretty," Kili stated with a broad grin. His brother elbowed him in the side and Eruanna's eyes widened in shock.

"Thank you," she murmured and looked back up at them with amusement in her eyes. "You're both very handsome yourselves".

"Thank you," Kili grinned once more and leaned down to kiss her hand. She giggled and Fili met her eyes. Blush was evident across his features as he tried and failed to avoid her gaze.

"So Gandalf invited you along?" he asked.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "All I know is that he wanted me to come here with him tonight. What didn't he tell me?"

Fili and Kili looked at one another before Fili answered. "Well, this is the meeting of the company. We're going on a quest to reclaim our home from a dragon".

Eruanna's eyes widened and she blinked rapidly. "Are you serious?!"

"Well yes," Kili grinned.

"You're going to Erebor?"

Fili nodded. "I take it you've heard of it?"

"Yes, but only from my sister's stories," Eruanna shook her head. "I never thought I'd live to see someone try and reclaim it".

"Then you've obviously never met our uncle," Fili chuckled.

Eruanna shook her head again and sighed. "I suppose they'll explain everything later?"

"Yeah," Kili shrugged and sat down next to where she was sitting before. "Sit with us?"

She looked at Fili and he sent her a questioning, yet friendly look. She smiled and sat down beside younger dwarf. Fili slipped down the wall and joined the other two as well.

When he did Eruanna was almost overcome with the strength of his scent. Yet again it wasn't bad, but up close it was intense. He seemed to notice her curious frown and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," she laughed, "but you two smell really strongly of wet grass".

Fili glared at his brother and Kili laughed. "That would be my fault. You see, the grass was still covered in morning dew and I pushed him into it".

Eruanna nodded in understanding and Fili added. "Yeah, and then I pulled him into the grass and we had a bit of a go at one another. Only messing around mind you, but we got a few good grass stains on us and in his case a few bruises".

Kili was about to object but Eruanna slapped both of their knees gently to shut them up. "Hey, you answered the question there's no need to fight about who did the most damage".

Fili grinned at Kili and Kili narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Listen children!" she laughed and slapped their knees again. "Stop behaving like two year olds!"

They both stared at her in shock until a mischievous grin spread across her face. Kili was the first to laugh and the others were soon to join.

Another dwarf approached her with a tiny mug in hand and she stopped laughing as he addressed her.

"Would you like a cup of camomile?"

She couldn't help the small giggle that came out of her mouth at the offer, but she had never tried camomile before and she wasn't particularly trusting of the dwarves just yet.

Fili seemed to have noticed her hesitation because he reached over and patted her hand gently, giving her a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry, it's not poisoned. None of us dislike elves quite that much. I've never been fond of camomile myself, but you might like it. Give it a taste".

She held his gaze for a moment and he nodded encouragingly. The dwarf passed her the mug and she looked back at Fili before lifting to her lips and taking a sip. Both he and Kili burst into hysterical laughter as her face screwed up and she frowned.

"I'm not so sure about that one," she coughed, placing the mug down beside her.

"I've never liked it either," Fili shrugged. "I suppose it must be an acquired taste".

"Definitely," she laughed lightly, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her lips.

"Eruanna?" Kili asked and she turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"It may be rude of me to ask, so feel free to tell me how rude I'm being, but I'm interested. How old are you?"

Eruanna laughed. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'a lady never tells'?"

Fili chuckled and his brother spluttered. "Not even a rough figure?"

She laughed. "Let's just say a lot older than you".

"That depends on how old you think we are," Fili piped up.

"We don't need an exact figure. I just wanted to know how old an elf could be and still be that pretty," Kili winked and Eruanna blushed.

"I'm three hundred and twenty four," she laughed, "but I will look this way for a very long time. My sister is over eight hundred years old and she still looks very young".

"Wow," Kili grinned. "You're looking good on it".

She felt her blush deepening and she shook her head. "Any more questions while you're asking?"

Kili opened his mouth but stopped and closed it again. He brought a hand up and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Fili laughed at his brother. "Well done, he'll be sitting there all night now, wondering which one to ask first".

"So I take it you are the elder brother?" she asked.

"Oh yes," he nodded. "I suppose it's pretty easy to tell that we're brothers?"

"Only once Kili said it," Eruanna shrugged. "Also because of your names".

"So you don't think we look alike?"

"Not really," she shook her head. "That isn't an insult to either of you though".

"That's because you think we're both handsome, hey?" Kili winked again and Eruanna snorted.

Her eyes widened and she quickly reached for the mug beside her. She didn't even think as she brought it to her lips again. She made a disgusted sound and shook her head.

Fili laughed and Kili patted her hand. "Don't worry, I thought it was cute".

Eruanna watched him for a moment with wide eyes. No matter how many people told her not to worry about it, she had always been very self-conscious about her snort. She couldn't help it if when she found something really funny she snorted. Her sister had told her to be proud of it because it was yet another little thing that set her apart from the other elves.

"You'd think you would have learnt the first time," Fili gently pulled the cup from her hand, his fingers lightly grazing hers as he went. Her eyes shot to his and a tingling sensation shot up her arm.

She tried her best not to shiver. Why was she getting these strange feelings? No one else had ever come close to making her feel this, whatever it was. Not even her intended back in Rivendell had, though she had only met him twice. She silently cursed herself and broke the eye contact between herself and the dwarf. This would go no further than it already had. What was she doing? What would her parents say if they were there? Fili was a stranger to her and yet she felt a strange familiarity with him that she'd very found with anyone else.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt someone tapping her arm. She looked down once more into those kind eyes of his and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

He grinned and her heart fluttered. "How much would you give me if I downed this?" he gestured to the mug.

Eruanna giggled. "I would give you no more than laughter at your stupidity".

"You don't think I can do it, do you?"

"I don't doubt that you'll do it," she chuckled. "A dwarf will do anything for the sake of pride, but I do not think that sculling a disgusting liquid, no matter how foul, proves much more than how far you are willing to go to try and prove your strength".

"I hardly think it takes much strength," he grinned at her, "but yes, I probably would do it for the sake of my pride".

Eruanna grinned back at him and they just stared at each other for few moments.

"I could do it!" Kili suddenly announced loudly and leapt for the mug. The force of this action caused the vessel to tip and for some of the liquid to spill and wet Eruanna's coat.

Eruanna glared down at the wet patch and rubbed it angrily. A small growl escaped her lips and she looked up to see both dwarves watching her with raised eyebrows.

"A bit of hidden aggression in there, I see," Kili grinned cheekily.

Eruanna sighed. "My sister gave me this coat. In fact she gave it to me the last time I ever saw her. I may not be an aggressive person but I will protect what's mine, especially when it comes to food so remember that," she waved a serious finger at both of them. "Excuse me; I need to talk to Gandalf".

The brothers watched her stand and go with equal looks of puzzlement. Kili shrugged and yawned but Fili's eyes continued to follow their new friend and rested on her when she stopped to talk to the wizard.

Kili glanced over at the dreamy look on his brother's face and laughed, clapping a hand to his brother's knee. "She's all yours".

"What?" Fili frowned and pulled his eyes away from the elf's smiling face.

"You heard me," Kili laughed and nudged his brother in the side. "You're besotted after ten minutes of knowing her".

"Don't be a fool!" Fili hit his brother over the head and Kili simply shrugged. His eyes found Eruanna once again and his heart thumped a little bit harder in his chest. This couldn't be happening! He'd never felt such an automatic connection to anyone other than his family.

Xxx

While Eruanna drilled Gandalf about the quest, she found her eyes flitting back over to Fili every now and then. Almost every time she did so she found his already on her. The warm feeling spread across her chest and she smiled absentmindedly to herself. This did not go unnoticed by Gandalf who chuckled.

"What?" she asked.

Gandalf just smiled. "It seems I made the right decision bringing you here. Perhaps we have not found your sister but you have certainly found something else".

"What do you mean?" she asked anxiously. Yes, he was a wizard! He would be able to tell her what this strange feeling was.

Gandalf chuckled. "Perhaps your heart has finally decided to show you what it wants".

Eruanna frowned. "What does that mean?" she whispered and hesitated before continuing. "I get this really strange feeling in my chest and I feel...warm".

Gandalf sent her a reassuring smile. "To some the connection comes instantly, for others it takes years. It seems that your heart has fallen in love with that dwarf without you realising it".

"But I've just met him!" she exclaimed and lowered her voice when one of the dwarves sent her a funny look. "Is this what love feels like? All of this _warmth_...my heart pounds harder than it ever has. Is it dangerous?"

Gandalf laughed. "Dangerous? Quite possibly if the person you love wishes to control you. You will find yourself willing to do anything for that person and since you're an elf, I'm afraid the effects will make themselves known almost instantaneously".

"Gandalf," she whispered fearfully. "What do I do?"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled again. "Wait. Let time decide what will occur between the two of you. But do not give your heart lightly".

She nodded and swallowed loudly. A sudden gust of cold air hit her out of nowhere and she shivered. Perhaps she had only imagined it because she was scared. Oh, how could she let herself fall so easily and so quickly, and for a _dwarf_ of all people?

She stood once more and walked down the corridor and towards the door. It was almost certain that Fili had seen her go and she would probably have at least one of the brothers with her in a matter of minutes. She eased open the door and slipped out into the cool night air.

The bench near the door looked suddenly very inviting and she lay down across it and looked up at the stars. There were a few loud thumps inside and a smile crossed her face as she heard the dwarves begin to sing merrily.

With her elf ears she could make out the basic idea of what they were singing about and she could hear Bilbo's cries of anger and annoyance. Still, she heard no sounds of smashing pottery so the dwarves couldn't be being too rough.

She giggled to herself as the singing intensified and imagined them bouncing around merrily. They were so different to any dwarves she had heard of. Any dwarf she had ever met had been cold and severe, though perhaps that had something to do with her being an elf.

A sudden sound down near the gateway startled her and she looked up to see yet another dwarf crossing the small yard. She gasped and the dark-haired dwarf stopped dead, his eyes zeroing in on her.

"Hello," she murmured quietly, hoping that he was one of the friendly ones like Fili or Kili.

He glared at her and nodded forcefully back. "Is this the house of Bilbo Baggins?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"And what are you doing here?" he grumbled.

"Gandalf invited me," she replied with confidence. This dwarf didn't scare her. Perhaps he was a little intimidating since he was significantly taller than any other dwarf she'd ever seen. But that didn't change the fact that she was an elf and she had been taught not to fear the likes of him.

He rolled his eyes at her reply and mumbled something about the wizard keeping his mouth shut. She frowned at him and carefully moved towards the door, leading the way in. The song had ended and the dwarves were quiet as they saw the man behind Eruanna.

She smiled when she saw that the room was completely clear of all evidence of the feast the dwarves had partaken of. They certainly knew how to make cleaning up fun. Now however, there was not a trace of that cheerful atmosphere as the dwarf made his way towards the table. That sat almost like soldiers awaiting command and Eruanna frowned when not even Fili's eyes left the new arrival. Who was he that could kill the mood just by arriving?

Gandalf was the only one who didn't look like he was awaiting orders, but his gaze still held a great deal of respect as he beheld the dwarf. Things were about to get interesting.

xxx

**Alrighty then. Any questions? Leave me a review and I'll try to answer any questions you have. I know that my knowledge of the history of Middle Earth may not be as exact as others but I would just like to point out that as much as I admire the original work and ****genius**** of Tolkien, I would like to tweak some things around for the sake of the story. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and in next chapter Eruanna will find out who Thorin is and learn a little bit more about what she is being roped into.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So...another chapter! Happy reading :)**

The silence lengthened until the new arrival took his place at the end of the table. One of the dwarves scurried off to get him some food and Eruanna found herself frowning once again. The dwarf's piercing eyes found her again and he turned and glared at Gandalf.

"Gandalf, you told me this place would be easy to find. I lost my way twice. Were it not for the mark on the door and the young elf outside then I would not have found it at all".

"What?!" Bilbo squeaked, racing down the corridor to investigate the door.

"Then are you not glad the young lady was there?" Gandalf asked.

The dwarf shot her a disgusted look before addressing Gandalf again. "The mark on the door would have been enough. I would dearly like to know why we have an elf in our company though".

All eyes turned to Gandalf and he sighed. "She is a well-trained individual and I believe she will be a great asset on our quest".

"We don't need an elf on our quest," he growled back.

"She has been in this world longer than any of you and I do not think we could find someone more experienced on such short notice!"

"Longer than us?" the dwarf asked. "That means she stood back and watched as our home got taken from us!" Several other dwarves threw their fists up as well and yelled.

Eruanna backed into the doorway but kept her gaze on the dwarf at the end of the table. "I did not know that your home was under siege!" she spat. "Besides, it seems you have forgotten that there was an elf there that day!"

The dwarf's gaze darkened. "And what good was one elf's contribution to an unwinnable battle?"

Eruanna cocked an eyebrow. "If the battle was unwinnable then what would the point of_ a thousand_ elves have been?"

The room fell silent and the two continued to glare to each other. Fili and Kili stood up and gently pulled Eruanna down to sit between them.

Bilbo came back into the room fuming and glared at Gandalf. There had been so much hostility since the last dwarf had arrived and Eruanna hated him for it. Who was he to cause such a stir among their jolly gathering?

Gandalf had managed to calm down the hobbit and gestured to the dwarf at the head of the table. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce you to Thorin Oakenshield".

Eruanna nearly fell off her chair and Fili gave her a curious look. She simply shook her head and turned her attention back to the dwarf king.

How had she not seen it? How had she not heard it? Her sister had told her stories about this particular dwarf and now that she listened, she knew there couldn't be anyone in Middle Earth with a voice like that. That deep rumble full of authority and determination that her sister had described to her.

At the time Eruanna had only teased her sister that she must have feelings for the dwarf, but now she understood. His whole demeanour screamed royalty; his dark hair, his stormy eyes and his confident stride as he had entered. How had she not known? How had she not been able to put together the pieces from her sister's description of his majesty?

The answer to her question was sitting right beside her. If she joined the dwarves on their quest then the distraction would only become harder to avoid. She glared at her table in front of her. Why did this have to happen to her now? Had it happened to him as well?

Thorin continued to speak with Gandalf and Bilbo and the hairs on the back of Eruanna's neck stood up. Did he have this effect on everyone? It wasn't an attraction, despite how attractive he actually was. No, this was more like fear...but she didn't fear him. It took her a moment to realise that what she was feeling was respect. An instantaneous and deep respect that she couldn't get her head around. Why hadn't the elves at least tried to help the dwarves escape?

She gave her head a little shake and looked up at Thorin with wide eyes. What kind of man had the power to cause such a change of opinion so quickly?

Kili leant across and whispered quietly to her. "Are you alright now?"

She nodded and turned to give him a reassuring smile. "Yes, but I don't think your leader likes me very much".

Kili shrugged. "Don't worry about him; he'll warm up to you once you've gained his trust".

"And how long will that take?"

"I'm not sure, but just prove to him that you are a woman of your word and he will respect you".

Eruanna nodded and shivered as a cold gust of air washed over her. Whether it was from the fact that Fili had just taken her hand to reassure her or the fact that the door was still ajar she did not know. All she knew was that she was out of her seat in an instant and was rushing towards the door.

She carefully closed it and turned to find Fili behind her.

She jumped in surprise and slapped a hand to her chest. He was indeed very quiet for a dwarf. "Fili, you scared me".

"Sorry," he smiled shyly. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay".

She met his eyes and smiled warmly. "I'm fine. I just got a little cold from the door being open".

"But before with my uncle...are you alright?"

Eruanna nodded. "Oh yes, don't worry about it".

He nodded and there was a pause before he asked. "You mentioned that there had been an elf there that day? Was that elf you?"

Eruanna chuckled and shook her head. "No, that was my sister. It seems that Thorin is simply too angry at the rest of the elves to remember that she saved his life".

Fili's eyebrows shot up in shock. "So he owes his life to your sister?"

"Yes, but he doesn't want to acknowledge it".

"Why was your sister there?"

Eruanna shrugged. "To help. She disobeyed orders that day and was banished because of it. She would return every now and then to see me but she could never stay".

"And now she's missing?"

Eruanna nodded. "I haven't seen her in years".

"Then I hope we can find her," he smiled brightly. "I would like to meet the elf that saved my uncle's life".

Eruanna grinned and allowed him to lead her back into the room with the rest of the dwarves. She listened with interest as Thorin and the rest of the dwarves discussed their quest and what lay ahead for them.

The smell of grass intensified as Fili leaned over to whisper in her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck and she had to resist shivering again. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to".

"Thank you," she whispered back and squeezed his hand gratefully.

She watched Thorin once more as he; Bilbo and Gandalf examined an old map. The candle light caught Thorin's eyes and Eruanna watched as the blue seemed to glow. For a dwarf he was very impressive. While Fili and Kili had different things attractive about them his form could only be described as majestic. Her mind wandered and she wondered if Fili would be as majestic once he reached that age.

"So he's the prince," she murmured aloud.

Fili chuckled. "No, he's the king".

"Oh, yes of course," she murmured. "Does he have a son to succeed him?"

Fili shook his head. "No, he's never married as far as I know. I don't think he could after what happened to Erebor. Since then he has been biding his time until he may return home".

"So who will succeed him?"

Fili blushed and cleared his throat. "His eldest nephew".

"Which is?" she looked around at the dwarves and frowned. Most of them looked too old to be his nephews.

Fili laughed awkwardly. "Me".

Eruanna's eyes widened in shock and she bowed her head to him. "I'm so sorry I never realised. You said he was your uncle before but I guess I just dismissed it. You're a prince".

His blush deepened and he nodded. "Is that alright?"

Eruanna laughed. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He shrugged and she giggled. "Do you want me to call you Prince Fili from now on?"

"No!" he exclaimed and Kili laughed.

Kili leaned over and whispered in Eruanna's ear. "You can call me Prince Kili if you like," his voice was like a cat's purr.

She leapt away from him and bumped into Fili's side. "I think I'll be alright thanks," she grinned at him and shook her head.

Fili chuckled and eased her back up onto her chair. "Are you alright?"

She turned to him and frowned. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Is there something wrong with caring?" he asked.

"No, but..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Don't worry".

"Tell me," he urged and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she stood up and rushed out of the room and into the sitting room. There she flopped down, rather ungracefully for an elf, into an armchair. Movement over by the fire made her jump when she realised she had just thrown herself into a room with the dwarf king.

Thorin Oakenshield was an impressive specimen if ever there was one. His dark hair and his regal clothing gave him a truly majestic outline. She now understood why her sister had spoken of him like he was some sort of angelic being. His eyes fell on her for a moment and she froze. Those stormy blue eyes were piercing and she felt rather uncomfortable under his gaze. His eyes then flitted back over the flames and when he spoke his voice was lower and he sounded almost dangerous. "What is your name, elf?"

"Eruanna," she replied loudly enough for her to hear him.

"And why are you here?"

"Gandalf invited me," she repeated her earlier answer.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yes, I know the wizard invited you, but why are you really here? I can't see why an elf would have any interest in helping a dwarf reclaim his home".

She swallowed thickly under his intense gaze. "I'm looking for my sister and Gandalf seemed to think that going with you was my best bet of finding her".

"I can't have a member of my company distracted by other obligations. If you are only coming to seek your sister then go and seek your sister. Do not waste our time".

"So you're considering letting me come?"

He observed her with a levelled gaze and nodded. "I do not know why Gandalf wanted you to come and I can't say that I've never questioned his judgement, but if he trusts you enough to want you with us then I must allow it".

"Thank you".

He nodded and turned back to the fire. Eruanna stared at his back. She wondered what it had been that had changed his mind. Maybe he had seen some sense and realised how utterly thick he'd been acting.

"But I will give you a warning," he whirled back around to glare at her. "You will take orders from me and if you do anything that I do not like, you will receive the same reprimands and punishments as any other soldier under my command. I will not treat you any different for being an elf and I certainly won't give you special treatment for being a woman. As a member of my company you will be under the same protection as everyone else, understand?"

Eruanna nodded once more. "Don't worry about my protection. I've had more than enough training to protect myself. My sister was very thorough with my education".

Thorin looked like he was about to argue but just sighed. "Whether you like it or not I will be watching over you with Gandalf. If you sign a contract and become a member of the company you will be my responsibility. I intend for everyone to survive this".

"And what of your men?"

Thorin seemed to understand her meaning and replied seriously. "I am their leader. I have no doubt that they will adapt quickly to your presence".

At that moment both Fili and Kili entered the room. "There you are!" Kili exclaimed. "We didn't know where you'd gone".

"I was in here the whole time," she grinned.

More dwarves filed into the room yawning and chatting lazily to their comrades. Several of them smiled at the brothers as they passed and one or two even smiled at Eruanna.

"Do you like being a prince?" she asked Fili.

He frowned. "I can't imagine why I wouldn't. I get treated no differently than anyone else and nor would I want to".

"No, you mistake my meaning. I meant simply that neither of you try to use it to your advantage".

Fili shrugged. "We have no reason to. Dwarves don't lord it over one another as some races do. We are all brothers in the end and we respect that. Of course there will always have to be someone to lead us and that falls to the line of Durin".

"But they do respect you for your linage?"

"Well yes," Fili nodded, "but until I have proven myself they will never hold me as high as they hold my uncle. Once he is crowned under the mountain I will stay by his side and learn to be a good leader. I know you may not have started off on the right foot, but he is a good leader and you will see it over time".

"I don't doubt it".

"So do you know everyone's names by now?" Kili asked on her other side.

She smiled and took a stab in the dark. "You two are Fili and Kili and your uncle is Thorin. Ori is the younger one over there who didn't know where to put his plate. Bofur is the one with the hat and the one with the white beard is...Balin?"

Fili nodded in approval and Kili grinned. "You did pretty well considering. Anyway, that's Dwalin, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori and Nori".

She nodded but had already forgotten half of them already. Her discomfort seemed to show on her face and Fili patted her hand awkwardly.

"Don't worry," he assured her cheerfully, you'll figure it out eventually.

She smiled at the young dwarf and couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach when he smiled back. Sure his brother and uncle were attractive also, but Fili just seemed to have a certain something about him that made her believe that he was the most like her in character.

"Ha, I've got one!" Kili suddenly announced to both Eruanna and Fili.

"Got one?" she asked.

"Yes!" he leant in and looked her in the eyes. "Why is your hair so short for an elf?"

Fili grinned at her. "I told you it'd take him a while. The wheels were turning; they just took a while to catch up".

Kili punched his brother in the arm and Fili barely flinched at all. Eruanna got the impression that if she turned away the two would engage in a full wrestling match, but for the sake of their new friend they didn't.

"Alright," she laughed lightly. "My hair is shorter because I had to cut it during a journey I'd rather not talk about. It will be grown back in a couple of weeks though. And before you ask; my favourite colour is aqua".

"So what's your sister's favourite colour?" Kili asked.

"Yellow," Eruanna laughed. "Got any more questions".

He shrugged. "Maybe later. Your eyes are really pretty. They're so brown. I thought elves had blue eyes?"

Eruanna laughed and Fili sighed. "You'll have to forgive my brother; I believe he's had a little too much ale".

"For your information not all elves have blue eyes and not all elves have straight hair either".

"Really?" Kili leaned in drunkenly and grinned.

Eruanna cocked an eyebrow at him. "No, my sister has very wavy hair in fact. A bit more like you lot".

Kili then proceeded to roll around the floor laughing. She had no idea what she'd said that was so funny but she was pretty sure Fili had been right when he had said Kili had had too much to drink.

She didn't blame him in the slightest. Why not enjoy one last night of comfort before the road? From the stories she'd heard, she knew that it was likely that not all of them would survive like Thorin hoped. It was easy to tell the difference between those that had been there and those that hadn't. The ones that had been there were quieter and less enthusiastic. They were the ones that followed their leader faithfully because they understood his pain. Thorin's face was fixed in an unmovable look of determination. He would succeed even if it killed him...and she wasn't sure it wouldn't.

"Hey, don't look so worried," Eruanna looked up to see Fili smiling at her. "We will succeed".

She nodded. "Let's just hope that your determination is enough".

"And don't forget that we have both a wizard and an elf on our side!" Kili exclaimed enthusiastically.

Fili grinned at his brother. "See, what he said".

Eruanna looked sheepish. "Well I can't say that I've ever slayed a dragon before".

"But you have been in battle before?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I've been in a few battles".

"Then what's the problem?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I just wish I had my sister with me. You'd like her, you all would. She's not like most elves".

"Is she a good fighter?"

Eruanna nodded. "She was there when your uncle chopped the arm off of the pale orc".

Fili's eyes widened. "She was there as well? Why?"

"Once she was banished she joined a group of other banished elves. Of course, there weren't many of them, but they were happy. She had her own sort of 'family' with them and she became a watcher".

"A watcher?"

"Part of a group of elves that devote their lives to watching over Middle Earth. They had no race anymore so it didn't matter".

"So she was watching over the dwarves, why?"

Eruanna shrugged but she had a fairly good idea why when she looked up at where Thorin was still looking into the fire.

Fili seemed to have noticed where her eyes went and he raised his eyebrows. "You mean she was in love with"—

"Shhhh," Eruanna clapped a hand to his mouth. "I don't know if she was or not but that was what I always thought".

Fili nodded and reached up to remove her hand from his mouth and he held it in his. "But an elf falling in love with a dwarf? Does that really happen?"

She carefully removed her hand from his and smiled sweetly. "Anything is possible in this world".

"Eruanna," he murmured and she looked into his eyes in fear.

"Yes?"

"You have a cut on your hand," he nodded to a thin line of blood on the back of her arm.

She frowned in puzzlement and reached into her coat for the small bottle her sister had always insisted she carry. She placed a single drop on the cut and it hissed before disappearing.

"What is that?" Fili asked curiously.

"A healing solution I made for my journey. I suppose I don't have time to make any more before we leave tomorrow".

"So you're definitely coming?" he asked hopefully.

She beamed at him. "Of course! Who else is going to save you?"

He chuckled softly. "I'll hold you to that you know?"

"I'll try my best".

Xxx

Silence fell in the sitting room as Thorin's low voice filled the air. The song has sang was hauntingly beautiful and soon the rest of the dwarves joined in. Beside her she could hear both Fili and the drunken Kili singing along. She closed her eyes, listening to the low hum of their voices and found herself suddenly quite comfortable in that armchair.

Without permission, her legs came up beside her and the young elf curled up in the chair and drifted off to sleep. She was vaguely aware of voices and laughter around her again and the warm feeling of a hand on hers before she fell into the abyss.

Xxx

_She was rushing through the forest and something was chasing her. It was an orc and he was fast. Up ahead the path seemed to end and a feeling of panic overcame her as she realised her path was obstructed. There was nowhere for her to go and she had no weapon to protect herself. _

_The orc was still running after her and would soon be upon her. She looked up as its ugly face got closer and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. All that she could hear were the sounds of its heavy feet on the muddy ground as it approached until suddenly the sound of an arrow hitting armour reached her ears and she reopened her eyes to see her sister fighting the orc._

_Hope filled her chest as she saw that her plan had worked. She had found her sister once again and this time she wasn't about to let her go. _

_Aranel skilfully sliced into the orcs arm, but not before its blade pierced her side and she cried out in pain. Eruanna shot forward without thinking and pushed the orc back into the mud. Aranel fell back onto the ground and hissed in pain, but her job wasn't done. She pushed herself up one last time to impale the orc on her sword. She then fell back and the orc fell on top of her._

_Eruanna scrambled in the mud to remove the orc from her sister. "Aranel!" she yelled. "Aranel, wake up!"_

_Aranel's face was beginning to turn white and Eruanna panicked even more. "Stay with me!" she yelled at her and pulled a small bottle from her worn brown coat. She pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured some of the liquid into her sister's mouth. _

_Almost instantly Aranel coughed and her eyes flickered open. "Eruanna?"_

_ "Yes!" Eruanna nodded enthusiastically. "I'm here sister"._

_Aranel chuckled, only to wince in pain at the pain in her side. "We have to go"._

_"Can you walk?" Eruanna asked anxiously._

_Aranel nodded and forced herself up from the ground. It was only then that Eruanna noticed the scar on Aranel's forehead. _

_"What happened to your forehead?"_

_Her sister grinned at her and draped an arm over her shoulder as they slowly walked back in the direction they both knew Rivendell was. "Long story"._

_Eruanna rolled her eyes but continued to watch her sister anxiously as she hobbled along. "Are you sure you're alright?"_

_Aranel fixed her sister with a steady gaze. "This is my life now, Anna. This happens and we have to make the most of what we've got. I've still got legs so I can still walk"._

_"But it's madness! You're going to end up dead like the others one day if you're not more careful. How many scars is it now?" she glared at the ground in front of them before turning back to Aranel. "If you asked Lord Elrond I'm sure he'd take you in and you wouldn't have to fight anymore"._

_"The fighting is what keeps me going. If I couldn't fight then I would be stuck living in the wild forever. Where am I going to go? You think that they'll actually let me live in Rivendell again? They barely tolerate me coming as it is"._

_"But you just keep getting injured!" Eruanna exclaimed angrily. "I can see the pain on your face, Nel"._

_Aranel gritted her teeth and a tear ran down her cheek. "Then go"._

_"What?"_

_"Go. Go to Rivendell and bring back help. I'll be here waiting for you"._

_Xxx_

_Eruanna gazed down at her sleeping sister. She looked much better now that she had been healed. There was still a scar from where she had been injured, but it blended in with the others anyway. Why was it necessary for her to cause herself so much pain?_

_She had spoken to Lord Elrond and he had agreed to allow Aranel to live there if she desired it. It wasn't him that had banished her in the first place anyway, that had been another king of elves. _

_"Eruanna?"_

_"Yes?" Eruanna shot forward and took her sister's hand in her own._

_Aranel chuckled and thankfully didn't wince. "You actually took me to Rivendell"._

_"Of course I did!"_

_"I was going to sneak away while you were gone. My friend was waiting for me"._

_Eruanna frowned. "Why do you always want to leave me?"_

_"It's not about me leaving you; it's about me protecting you. I've become accustomed to a certain lifestyle now and I can't have you being any part of it except for when I visit here"._

_"Then why do you bother coming at all?" Eruanna asked angrily, withdrawing her hand and folding her arms._

_"Because you're still my little sister," Aranel sat up slowly and lifted her legs off of the bed and onto the floor. Still in her nightgown, she made her way over to the balcony of the room and watched as the sun set over the mountains. _

_Eruanna followed her and they both watched in silence until the sun was gone. "Oh, I have something for you!" Aranel rushed back inside and found the sack she'd been carrying._

_"Did you steal it?" Eruanna asked disapprovingly._

_Aranel narrowed her eyes at her sister. "I only steal when I have to"._

_"You don't have to now. I asked Lord Elrond and he said you're welcome to stay here. Isn't that great?"_

_Aranel grimaced but turned back to her bag to find Eruanna's gift. "Let's just...let's just not talk about that right now"._

_"Why not?"_

_"Because right now I'd like to give you this," Aranel turned around and flourished the most beautiful navy blue coat Eruanna had ever seen in her life._

_"Where did you get it?" Eruanna asked in awe as she reached out to touch it._

_"We stormed an old fortress that was infested in goblins. That's how I got this, by the way," she added, pointing to the scar on her forehead._

_"Goblin?"_

_Aranel laughed. "Stairs"._

_They both laughed and Eruanna took the coat and pulled it on. It was slightly too big but it was the most comfortable thing Eruanna had ever worn. She pulled her sister into a hug which made Aranel wince a little. "Thank you!"_

_"You're welcome," Aranel smiled at her little sister. "Now, go to bed and get some rest"._

Xxx

The dream faded as Eruanna was brought back to the real world. That had been the last time she had seen her sister. Aranel had left the next day without so much as a word and Eruanna had been looking for her ever since. For all she knew Aranel could have died, but surely someone would have told her by now, right?

All around her she could hear very loud rumbling sounds and she wondered if she was still dreaming. She opened her eyes and looked around to see all of the dwarves spread out across the room in various positions that all looked rather uncomfortable to her. The only one that she could she from her current position that didn't look quite so uncomfortable was Thorin. His head was resting against the edge of the fireplace and the light from the glowing embers caught the grey streaks in his hair. If it wasn't for that light, she would not have been able to tell if he were asleep or not because if he were awake the light from the fire would have made his eyes glow through the darkness.

Eruanna suddenly became aware that something warm was resting on her hand and she looked to her right to see that Fili had dragged a chair over and had fallen asleep beside her. His hand was still clamped over hers even in his sleep and Eruanna felt that familiar tingling shoot right up her arm. She tried to ignore it and she looked over to her left to see Kili spread out on the floor, drool leaking from the corner of his mouth. She grimaced at that and turned away. She guessed that was what happened when you drank too much alcohol. She'd never attempted it as she knew elves had a ridiculously high tolerance for the liquid.

Movement to her left startled her and she froze as Fili sat up with a soft groan and blinked around blearily. His eyes found hers and he smiled sleepily.

Eruanna smiled back and rested her head back down. He yawned widely and looked down at where his hand still clutched hers. He quickly withdrew it as if he'd been burned and lay back down to go to sleep, praying that she hadn't noticed.

But of course, she _had_ noticed and her hand felt cold where he'd been touching. Had he not realised he was doing it? Did he just not want her to think that he liked her? Did he like her? She felt like a twelve year old even contemplating these questions, but one thing was for sure; she wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night.

**xxx**

**So that's chapter two! :D Drop me a review if you feel like it. Annabananna thank you very much for your review and to asnwer your question: Yes Eruanna is based on someone and so is Aranel ;) They are also best friends in real life ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. So this is the second time I've had to copy and paste this document and edit AGAIN so hopefully it works or I might just have to throw my computer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**PS. Yes, annabananna68, I fully intend to continue typing about Thorin's majesty on a regular basis ;)**

Eruanna gazed around the room and watched as one by one, the dwarves began to stir. The first was Thorin who yawned widely and pushed up from his position against the wall. He barely made a sound as he walked towards the kitchen and Eruanna's eyebrows raised of their own accord. Since when had dwarves ever been this quiet?

Fili was next, but he didn't seem to notice her watching him as he crawled around the front of her chair to wake his brother. He shook the younger dwarfs shoulders to no effect. Sighing, he gripped his brother's shoulders once more and bashed their heads together.

Eruanna watched with wide eyes as Kili groaned loudly and lashed out at his brother and accidentally kicked Bombur. This set off a chain reaction as the other dwarves realised it was time for them to move as well. The sounds of shuffling footsteps and hushed conversation filled the room as they all trudged out into the kitchen.

Eruanna looked towards the door that led to Bilbo's room. She hadn't been able to speak to him again the night before, but she was fairly sure he was too scared by the idea of the dragon to come with them. Of course, he didn't really have much encouragement when the dwarves decided it would be funny to tease him. It was a shame really; she'd liked him quite a lot.

She joined the dwarves in the kitchen and she was greeted cheerily by the one called Balin. She smiled back at him and gratefully took the cup of tea that he offered her.

"Thank you," she took a sip and hummed in approval. "It's really good. What did you put in there?"

Balin gave her a sly smile. "If I told you it wouldn't be quite so exciting".

Eruanna laughed. "Right, I'll take your word for it".

"Better than camomile, yes?"

"Oh yes," she grinned back at him. It seemed that they had an automatic connection as well. This was good. If she could gain enough of the dwarves' trust then maybe Thorin might trust her more himself. His personal opinion didn't matter to her at all, but if she could make her own life easier by getting along with him then she'd make sure she tried her best to obey his every command and prove herself worthy of their company.

Fili caught her eye from across the room as she was deep in thought and he grinned. So everything was fine with him? She'd spent the rest of the night up thinking about him and getting paranoid and he was fine? She sighed and looked away, completely missing the hurt frown on his face.

Kili wandered over and passed her one of two buns he'd managed to scavage. "You're lucky I saved these," he tried to grin cheekily but his head was still hurting too much to and he winced.

"Thank you," she took the roll gratefully and patted his head gently. "Don't strain yourself now".

She heard a deep chuckle and her eyes widened in shock when she saw that it was Thorin who had laughed. Though almost as soon as he made eye contact with her all of the amusement vanished from his face. Perhaps he was only laughing at his nephew.

Retreating to a corner, she ate her roll quietly and sipped her tea. It was the nicest tea she'd ever had and she felt more and more relaxed as the liquid heated her insides. She made a mental note to watch Balin next time he made it.

Someone came towards her and out of the corner of her eye she could tell it was Fili. He came to stand beside her and her heart step up at his proximity. She could tell he was trying to catch her eye and she avoided his gaze for as long as she could before it became too hard not to look. Over the brim of her cup she met his eyes as she sipped her tea.

He watched her intensely as she swallowed, which only made her all the more uncomfortable. "Did I do something, Eruanna?" he asked quietly.

She glanced over at his face and her heart melted at his worried expression. She shook her head. "No, no don't worry," she smiled and took another sip. "Its morning, I'm still waking up".

"Oh good," he breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't want to scare you away before we'd even started our journey".

Eruanna blushed and grinned. "You wouldn't be able to scare me off. I'm tough, remember?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, of course. You're also very different from the other elves".

She shrugged. "I learnt from the best".

"So you've led me to believe," he frowned thoughtfully and glanced over at his uncle for a moment. She followed his gaze and understood exactly what he was getting at. It seemed that she was going to end up regretting telling him about her sister and his uncle.

"Yes well," Eruanna nodded. "I'll be waiting outside". She sculled down the rest of her tea and made her way out of the house. The morning air washed over her and she shivered in the frigid cold. Reaching for the folds of her coat, she wrapped it more firmly around her torso.

"So you're joining us?" an amused voice questioned.

Eruanna whirled around to see Gandalf behind her. "Yeah," she nodded and laughed without humour. "I don't think I have much choice".

"Why?" he frowned curiously. Surely no one was making her do something she did not wish to.

"Well, aside from the fact that this quest will take us right across the land which will help me in my search...I don't think my heart will let me stay," she confessed quietly and automatically hated how pathetic the words sounded coming from her mouth. She was an elf and elves weren't suppose to feel that way! They were supposed to watch over Middle Earth as the ages went on, not become emotionally attached to mortals.

Gandalf smiled at the young elf and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "I am glad to hear it".

"I'm not so sure I am," she laughed shakily and glanced toward the door to make sure no one was coming. Their conversation wasn't something she wanted any of the dwarves to hear. Thorin would probably not allow her to come the moment he heard where her affections lay. "I just don't understand. I know you told me the decision wasn't my own...but why him?"

The old wizard chuckled softly. "It is a mystery, my dear. It seems that fate has decided to entwine your destinies".

"I don't believe in fate," she replied instantly, though even she knew it wasn't entirely true.

"I don't believe that," the wise, old wizard shook his head. "If you truly didn't believe in fate then you wouldn't be coming with us. You may not like that your heart has made its decision, but you do know that it did for a reason".

Eruanna opened the mouth to argue but closed it again just as the door opened. He was right, of course. She would be a fool not to believe that this had happened for a reason. All of those stories she had heard about love had taught her that the victim was a fool to resist destiny.

The dwarves filing out into the cool morning air distracted her and she watched on in amusement as the two young princes reacted dramatically to the cold morning air. They were like children. She had fallen for a child.

She growled under her breath and turned her attention to the missing member of their company.

"Bilbo?" she asked as Thorin passed her, but he just shook his head.

"He will come; it will just take him longer to decide," Gandalf stated calmly.

"Speaking of decisions," Balin came forward with a contract. "Miss Eruanna, if you please?"

"Of course," she rushed forward and signed her name without question.

"Thank you," Balin smiled warmly at her and carefully tied the contract with string. "Here you go".

Eruanna took the scroll and placed it in an inside pocket of her coat. She felt better now that she was officially a member of the company. It created in her a sort of comfort that she finally belonged to something and the thought crossed her mind that this would be the first real family she had ever had. These people's obligations were only to one another and to their home. That was the way Eruanna thought it should be. So why couldn't her sister see it that way?

They began the walk back through the beautiful village and Eruanna tried her best to commit it all to memory so that when she found Aranel she could tell her all about it. There was so much she had to tell her already.

"Lassie!" one of the dwarves called and she turned to see the one she knew was Bofur hurrying to catch up with her.

She slowed so that he could walk beside her. "Do you think you'd like to join us in a wager?"

"A wager?" she asked. "What about?"

"Whether or not Mr Baggins decides to come or not," he grinned broadly and she found herself quite shocked by his friendliness. She was still not sure how to act around most of the dwarves because she knew how they felt about elves, but Bofur seemed alright. A matching grin spread across her face and she reached out a hand to him.

"Yeah alright. I bet you that he'll come," she nodded decidedly and he took her hand and shook it firmly. "He has too much curiosity for his own good".

"That's what I said," Fili called from behind.

Eruanna turned and smiled at him. "Great minds think alike".

"And captured hearts fall apart," Kili whispered in his brother's ear.

Fili shoved him into a bush and laughed when he struggled to get out. "Do you need some help, brother?"

Kili was about to assault his brother when Thorin turned around and yelled at them. "Fili! Kili! Cut that out!"

The grin faded from Fili's face and he quickly pulled his brother from the bush so that they could catch up to the others.

Eruanna smiled to herself when she heard them running to catch up to the company. No matter how tough they played it, they were still loyal to their uncle and just a little bit scared of him. She didn't blame them really. No matter how much older she was, she never wanted to see his wrath directed at her.

Up ahead she could see a small stable and the sounds of whinnying ponies filled her ears. She smiled. Her love of animals had only grown stronger as the years went by and excitement filled her at the prospect of having her own animal companion on their journey.

Thorin and Gandalf entered the stable and brought out the ponies two by two. All of the dwarves greeted their ponies happily and began saddling them quickly. It was then that Gandalf emerged with a chestnut brown horse for himself and Eruanna's breath caught in her throat. Behind Gandalf, Thorin led out a beautiful white horse with black speckles covering its back.

He brought it over to her and thrust a saddle into her arms. "You're lucky. Gandalf seemed to have planned ahead for you".

She thanked him and stroked her horse's mane. She was beautiful. The colouring of that particular horse was very similar to the first horse that she had ever been given. Of course, that had been a very long time ago and while he had served her well, that particular horse had died nearly a century ago.

Fili looked over to see her a little preoccupied with her horse and laughed from where he'd just saddled his own pony.

"Are you alright there?" he asked.

"Yes," Eruanna grinned down at him. "She's just beautiful".

"Yeah," he smiled warmly down at her, but she didn't notice that his eyes remained on her as he spoke and not the horse.

Thorin mounted his pony and turned to face the rest of them. "Come on. We're to stay close together and no messing around," his eyes flashed as they fell on his nephews. Both Fili and Kili gave each other sheepish looks and mounted their ponies as well.

Eruanna quickly saddled her horse and hurried to catch up with Gandalf. They rode together behind Thorin's pony and Eruanna couldn't help but look back every now and then to see if their burglar was on his way. "Do you really think he's coming?"

Gandalf smiled knowingly. "Give him another mile".

Xxx

True to Gandalf's prediction, Bilbo's shouts soon rang from behind them and the company stopped and waited for him to catch up. "I have the contract!" he yelled. "Here!" he thrust the contract at Balin and the older dwarf quickly looked it over with a small magnifying glass.

Eruanna watched in amusement as the dwarves grumbled and exchanged sacks of gold. Bofur threw her one and he caught it with a grin. Fili caught up with her and jiggled his own bag. "Never doubt the small ones".

She laughed. "You're certainly right about that".

They continued to ride through the day and Eruanna was content with just admiring the landscape in silence. Fili had laughed at her enthusiasm and the two had spent the day quizzing each other about their different cultures. She had learnt many things about both the dwarves and Fili by the time they stopped to make camp. Unfortunately, this only made it harder for her to avoid becoming any more attached than she already was.

It had been particularly amusing when he relayed to her a story about when he and Kili were young. Of course, they were still young to her, but that was beside the point. Apparently one day when they were tackling each other and their mother had had enough and made them both stay outside in the forest for a night. Instead of being terrified though, they banded together and took care of one another. Ever since then, they had been inseparable.

The thing that made the story funny was that neither Fili nor Kili had wanted to come back inside the next night when their mother had insisted they join her for dinner. Eruanna could just imagine the young dwarflings refusing to come back inside, one holding a makeshift bow made from a stick and some vine and the other holding a homemade spear made out of a sharpened stick.

They tied up their ponies and horses and prepared to settle down for the night. Eruanna helped Fili and Kili tend to the animals while one of the others dwarves made their supper and Balin made tea once again.

Once they were all fed they settled down on their bedrolls and most of the dwarves were asleep in a matter of minutes. Eruanna sat up with the last few awake and sipped her tea. The cool breeze on the cliff was nice on her face as she looked out into the darkness. Despite the ever-present feeling that danger was just around the next corner, it was quite peaceful.

A screeching noise echoed from down below and Eruanna nearly spat out her tea. It was evident to at least her that the sound was a long way away, but she still walked over to the edge to check. Not even her elf eyes could pick up any major movement as they scanned the valley down below.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked fearfully.

"Orcs," Kili replied and much to her distaste, he proceeded to tell Bilbo about the throat-cutters that inhabited the valleys at night and preyed on unsuspecting travellers.

It wasn't until he snickered that she knew there was going to be trouble. Her gaze shot straight to Thorin who glared at his nephew. "You think it's funny?" he asked and his voice was dangerously low. "You think a night-raid by Orcs is a joke?"

Both Fili and Kili watched Thorin fearfully as he huffed and turned to walk back to the edge of the cliff. "You know nothing of the world".

Eruanna felt sorry for Kili when she saw just how scared he really was. Thorin's words had shaken him and he looked like he might cry. It was his own fault though since he had been teasing Bilbo to begin with, but she couldn't blame him for being ignorant. He was young and inexperienced, though to her they all were to some extent. Even the oldest dwarf in the company was still decades and decades younger than her.

Balin attempted to sooth the young dwarf as he told them the tale of the Thorin and Azog the defiler. Eruanna felt her respect for the dwarf king increase. Although she had already heard the tale from her own sister, it was different hearing it from the perspective of someone who was his friend. The older dwarf's version of the story focused more on the discovery of finding someone to believe in and to follow as opposed to a detailed account of Thorin's majesty and skill on the battlefield.

When Bilbo asked what had happened to the pale orc, Thorin walked back past and replied in disgust that he had died of his wounds long ago.

To Eruanna's surprise, his eyes fell on hers and he spoke again. "And despite what you might believe, I do remember the elf there that day. I know that were it not for an elf I would not have been in that battle and I would not be drawing breath right at this moment".

"And yet you still condemn our whole race?" Eruanna frowned.

Thorin's gaze hardened as he replied quietly. "Only those who have no honour".

Eruanna nodded silently and looked over to find Fili watching her. She shook her head to silently tell him to keep his mouth shut and lay down to go to sleep. The dwarves lay down as well and she allowed herself to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of their snoring. Normally she would hate such sound during her slumber, but at that moment it gave her comfort to know that she was under the protection of thirteen dwarves, a wizard and a young hobbit.

**So that's just a small chapter to kick off. I hoped you enjoyed it and please feel free review, they help me out a lot :) Until next update ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I don't really have any idea about the timeframe between these events but I'm just making it up as I go along. Thank you all for your reviews, favourites and follows. Annabananna98: My OTP is Rose Tyler/Tenth Doctor but my original OTP was Rumpelstiltskin/Belle :)**

**I hope you like this chapter! These chapters are generally pretty big so I hope anything happening doesn't seem rushed. **

A few nights after leaving Hobbiton, Eruanna woke up early to find of the dwarves still asleep except for one. She stood up and nimbly made her way through the sea of snoring dwarves to reach him. He had not noticed her so she took a moment to admire the way the soft light caught his sandy coloured hair. The waves blew gently in the breeze and she was mesmerised by the sight.

She had spent a lot of time with him over the past few days and gotten to know what made him laugh the hardest and what topics to avoid. It would be foolish for her to presume to know him, but she had never talked so much to anyone except for her own sister.

Suddenly he turned and his eyes met hers. "I may not be an elf, but I can still tell when I'm being watched".

Eruanna blushed lightly and went to sit down beside him. Together they watched the sun as it began to seep over the tops of trees in the valley. They only had a few more minutes before they'd have to move on.

"How long have you been on watch?" she asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

He turned to her and shrugged. "I'm not sure, since they woke me up".

Eruanna chuckled. "Well you could've asked me to take the watch with you. I'd be happy to sit up with you if you want company".

"Thank you," he grinned at her. "I'll remember that next time".

She nodded and turned back to the valley. It was then her turn to be watched as she tried to concentrate on the valley below. She was doing well until a warm hand slowly took hold of hers and entwined their fingers.

Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed thickly. Should she look at him? Could she even look at him? Deciding against it she simply closed her fingers around his hand and squeezed.

He sighed in what sounded like relief and turned his body to face hers, grasping her hand in both of his. "Eruanna"—

The sound of a pot clanging behind them made them leap apart. It seemed to have escaped both of their notice that several of the dwarves were up and moving. Eruanna stood up and slowly extricated her fingers from Fili's. He looked up at her sadly but she tried her best to just smile as she turned away to go back to the others.

Thorin glared at her as she approached. "You're on watch when we stop tonight".

She nodded silently and went over to get herself a cup of tea. Balin gave her one of his signature sly smiles as she realised that she had once again missed out on watching him make the tea. "Balin," she grumbled, "will you never tell me what you put in this?"

"I will if you like," Kili grinned at Balin and then back to her.

"I'm listening".

"Leaves," Kili nodded seriously. "He gets a bunch of these different leaves and puts them in".

Eruanna quirked an eyebrow. "Yes Kili, I know that they are leaves, but what kind of leaves?"

Kili shrugged and both Eruanna and Balin laughed. "I'm afraid he is yet too young to fully understand the skill needed and the complexity behind creating a good cup of tea," Balin smiled at her.

Eruanna giggled. "No, he does not. Perhaps one day when he has reached an age closer to ours he will understand".

The whole group of dwarves around the fire all chortled then. The only ones that weren't there were Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili who were talking quietly to the side. Eruanna felt very uncomfortable as Fili spoke and both he and Thorin looked in her direction. What were they speaking of? Was Fili disappointed that nothing much happened between them. There had hardly been time for anything to happen, let alone something of a romantic nature.

As the sun rose they packed up the rest of their things and continued on their way. Eruanna rode at the back of the company beside Ori. He was a cheerful young dwarf, if not a bit strange. He expressed a great wish to learn more about the life of the elves and Eruanna was more than happy to oblige him.

Despite their laughter and teasing of each other, Eruanna knew that both Fili and Kili were listening intently to everything she was saying from ahead. As silence passed over them Eruanna found herself staring at the back of the blonde head in front of her. Whether he could tell or not she did not know and neither did she care. What was she going to do? Having feelings for a dwarf was completely out of the question, especially when her intended was a well-respected elf.

She sighed and turned to see Ori's eyes flickering between the two of them knowingly. Eruanna's eyes widened and she pressed a finger to her lips, but he just smiled. It didn't seem to faze him at all to learn that an elf had fallen for one of the company.

She watched him for a while with narrowed eyes but his smile only blossomed into a grin. He nodded to her and laughed quietly to himself. She was about to say something when she felt a drop of rain on her cheek.

A few groans of annoyance could be heard amongst the group as they trudged on through what soon became quite a downpour. They all pulled their hood over their heads and tried their best to keep at least some of their layers of clothing dry. Eruanna had no cloak and neither did Bilbo. Luckily for her however, her coat deflected the water and all she needed to do was tighten the neck of it to keep the rest of her dry. Her head was another story. Her hair stuck to her face and her cheeks were numb with cold.

"Mr Gandalf?" Dori's voice called through the thick shower. "Can't you do something about this deluge?"

Eruanna laughed as she knew what was coming from the old wizard. "It is raining, Master dwarf, and it will keep on raining until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, I suggest you find yourself another wizard".

Eruanna chuckled and tuned out to the rest of the conversation as they continued through the rain. Despite the cold and the uncomfortable feeling of water trying to seep down her neck, she understood exactly why her sister enjoyed a life in the wild so much. Out where there were no expectations except the ones she set herself.

Later in the afternoon the rain had stopped and Thorin called that they should stop for the night. As the dwarves began to set up for the night, Eruanna wandered ahead to where a burnt down farm house came into view.

"This is fresh," she murmured to no one in particular.

Thorin had followed her and now stood behind her. "It's safe enough".

"Maybe," she shrugged. "You can never be sure".

"And where would you rather stay?"

She turned to face him with a hard stare. "I will stay wherever my friends stay and if you tell them to stay here then stay here we will. But I cannot pretend to like it. There is something wrong with this place".

With that she walked away to leave him to his thoughts. On her way back to the camp she ran into Bilbo. "Oh, hello," she smiled down at him.

"Hello," he smiled brightly up at her. "What's going on over there then?"

She glanced back up to where Thorin was to see that Gandalf was speaking to him. With her excellent hearing she could just make out Gandalf's angry reply.

"We have one of their own in our company! Do you really think they will not welcome a company that has so obviously won the trust of one of them?!"

"I will not go there! I would not go there if one of my own kin were dying!"

Gandalf huffed. "It may well come to that if you do not learn to let go of your hatred!"

Thorin whirled around to face the wizard and replied with venom in his voice. "One elf, Gandalf. One rebellious elf was the only help we got from that race. Do you honestly think they won't dismiss Eruanna as well for helping us?"

Eruanna sighed and turned to Bilbo. "If you're going up there you'd better be careful".

"Why?"

"Because they don't sound too happy," she patted his shoulder and continued back towards the camp. So Thorin knew that Aranel had been banished? Had he actually tried to find her or was that simply something he had learnt after she disappeared?

A fire had already been lit and both Bofur and Bombur were preparing dinner. She sighed and sat down in front of the fire.

"You alright lass?" Bofur asked her. "You look a little annoyed".

"Oh I'm fine, don't worry about me," she smiled and waved a dismissive hand at him. He nodded and went back to cooking while she carefully reached up and loosened the neck of her coat so that she could let her neck breathe.

"That's an interesting coat," Bofur commented as he cut up a carrot for their stew. "Where did you get it?"

"My sister," she smiled back at him, "but I don't know where she got it. I don't even know what it's made of".

Bofur nodded and turned back to Bombur. "Uh, where are Fili and Kili?" she asked quickly.

"The lads are tending to the ponies and your horses," Bofur replied and gestured through the trees to a small clearing a little ways off.

"Thank you," she stood up and made her way through the soggy trees as quietly as she could.

When she reached the two brothers they were deep in a quiet conversation so she cleared her throat to announce herself. Kili leapt down from the old fence and rushed over to greet her. "Eruanna! What are doing here?"

She shrugged. "Just checking on you two. There's nothing for me to do with the other's so..." she trailed off and looked over at Fili. His blue eyes met her brown and he smiled softly.

Temporarily frozen, she could do nothing but look back at him until Kili pulled her out of her stupor. "Do you think dinner's nearly ready?"

"I'm not sure," she mumbled quietly.

"I'm going to go and check," Kili walked away towards the others. Eruanna stood rooted to the spot and missed the thumbs up that Kili sent back to his brother.

"Are you alright?" Fili asked lightly despite the palpable tension between them.

Eruanna glanced up at him and tried to smile normally. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

He jumped down from the fence and came to stand in front of her. "Because you're avoiding looking at me".

"I'm not"—

"Eruanna,"—

"There you are," Bilbo sighed in relief as he approached with two bowls of stew in his hands. He noticed how close they were standing and stopped. "Sorry, am I interrupting something".

Eruanna looked away from Fili and smiled at the hobbit. "No, of course not," she replied, not noticing the pained look on Fili's face.

Bilbo did notice the look and frowned thoughtfully. "Here's your dinner, Eruanna. I think Kili needed you for something as well, I don't remember what".

Eruanna nodded and took the bowl with a quiet thank you and headed back towards the camp. The two men watched her go and once she was out of sight Fili sighed.

"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked Fili as he handed him the stew. Fili took it gratefully and had a mouthful before replying.

"I don't know".

"She likes you, you know?" Bilbo smiled up at the son of Durin.

Fili shook his head. "I don't think so, and even if she did, she's too scared to admit it". He groaned and rubbed his forehead roughly. "Why did this happen to me?"

"You mean love?" Bilbo asked with a slight smile.

Fili fixed him with a serious stare and nodded. "I'd only ever heard stories about it. I never knew that a dwarf could fall for an elf".

Bilbo nodded and they both sat in silence for a while. "Fili, uh..." Bilbo trailed off.

"What?"

"I was just thinking...do you even know..."

"Know what?"

"If she's free for the taking," Bilbo finished quickly. "It sounds horrible to put it that way but how do you know she's not married or, or engaged or attached?"

Fili's face went pale and he nearly dropped the bowl of stew.

"Hey, calm down," Bilbo patted his arm awkwardly. "I just thought that because she's over three hundred years old...all you have to do is ask her, right?"

Fili nodded and took another bite of stew.

"I'll go back and find Kili," Bilbo quickly made his way back through the trees and quietly told Kili that his brother needed him. Kili took his bowl and went without question while Bilbo took his place by the fire.

Eruanna stood a little ways away from the camp and looked out into the night. Her heart was still singing in her chest from the little moment she had shared with Fili. The way he had said her name sent shivers down her spine. It had been such a soft utterance yet so filled with emotion.

She noticed that both Fili and Kili were absent when she turned around and was glad for the opportunity to be alone. She took her sword and headed for the burnt down farmhouse. There she took out her blade and began to lovingly sharpen it. It sang to her with each stroke and she sighed in contentment.

Her solitude did not last long as shouting and the scrambling of feet could soon be heard from the camp. She stood up and watched as the dwarves took up their weapons and dashed off in the direction of the ponies. Her heart sank. Fili.

She sheathed her sword and scaled a tree. Her bow kept hitting the branches as she went but she kept going, leaping from tree to tree. When she reached the clearing where the ponies were still being held she dropped down onto the ground and looked around in bewilderment. The sounds of loud voices could be heard through the trees and she rushed in the direction of the commotion.

Through a gap in the foliage she could see the dwarves suddenly stop all movement, and following Thorin's lead, they all dropped their weapons. Her gaze travelled past them to the trolls, briefly making sure the Fili was unharmed as she went.

The dwarves were then stuffed into sacks and placed in a pile while the trolls discussed how best to cook them. Bilbo stood up and bravely made an effort to dissuade the trolls. Eruanna smiled at the young hobbit's bravery and waited for the right moment for her to emerge.

When the troll dropped Bombur back onto the pile of dwarves Eruanna knew it was her time to arrive. She hurried from the cover of the trees and stood behind Bilbo.

The trolls flinched. "An elf?"

"We've never eaten an elf, Tom," another said stupidly and tilted his head to observe her closer.

"Eruanna no!" Fili yelled form the pile but Eruanna just smiled reassuringly.

"What you don't know about elves, Tom," Eruanna addressed the troll, "is that together with hobbits, we are the only ones who truly know how to cook a good dwarf. Unfortunately for you, this lot are simply too infested to bother with".

The troll looked over at the pile of dwarves in disgust. "That's right," Bilbo added. "They all got worms in their tubes".

"Full of parasites," Eruanna shook her head and sighed. "It's quite a shame really".

"Parasites?!" Oin yelled.

"We don't have parasites!" Kili yelled.

One by one the dwarves started to protest and Eruanna rolled her eyes. She shot a look at Thorin and he seemed to realise what she was trying to do. He then shot a well-aimed kick at Kili's back to shut him up.

Fili was the first to loudly proclaim how full of parasites he was and the rest of the dwarves soon joined in.

"Listen to that," Eruanna addressed the trolls. "Do you really want to risk it?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't risk it," Bilbo shook his head quickly and flinched slightly as Eruanna began untying the ropes behind his back.

The trolls talked amongst themselves for a while before deciding that the elf was lying to them. Bilbo had just enough time to free himself from the sack and scurry over to the others before an enormous hand scooped Eruanna up from behind him.

The air left her lungs in an instant and all she could hear were the yells of the dwarves as she hung in mid-air. Her brown hair fell from her shoulders and dangled in front of her, obscuring her view of the dwarves.

"The dawn will take you all!" she heard Gandalf's shout and shut her eyes tightly as the bright light of dawn filled the clearing. The troll's grip loosened and she fell to the ground in a heap.

Gasping for air she groaned and got gingerly to her feet. An arm was around her in an instant and she felt the support of a strong pair of hands lift her as she lost consciousness.

Xxx

When Eruanna came to again there was a hand stroking her hair back from her forehead and a voice was whispering to her in another language she didn't understand. The voice was soft and she smiled and let out a contented sound.

"Eruanna?"

She opened her eyes to find Fili hovering above her. She still felt lightheaded and didn't know exactly what she was doing until her fingers made contact with his long sandy hair. Her fingers trailed through the long strands and she smiled stupidly. It was surprisingly soft for a dwarf's and she closed her eyes again. Her hand fell to her side once more and she relaxed again.

"Is she ready to leave?" Thorin's voice cut through her soothing rest and she frowned.

"She just risked her life to save all of us from being eaten," Fili replied angrily. "Give her a moment to recover".

Thorin was a silent for a moment. "Give her ten more minutes and then we're leaving".

His footsteps faded away and all Eruanna could hear was the quiet breathing of the only other person present. Opening her eyes again she saw that his other hand was resting on the dirt to the side of her to keep him from falling. She carefully reached up and took the hand that wasn't supporting him.

His eyes widened in shock but she just closed her eyes and held his hand close to her cheek. He was just so warm and comfortable.

Fili gazed down at the woman beneath him in adoration. Oh, how he loved her already and they had barely known each other a week. He wanted so greatly to close the gap between them and press his lips to hers, but he knew that that would be too much. She was lightheaded and probably wasn't thinking properly.

He sighed and pulled himself back from her in order to sit on the ground beside her. She still had his left hand in hers but he used his right to carefully tap her on the arm. "Come on, Eruanna. Thorin needs us to leave".

Eruanna groaned but sat up and looked around blearily. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.

She nodded and tried to speak but her voice wouldn't come. She coughed and Fili quickly pressed the brim of his water skin to her mouth. Taking in the water gratefully she swallowed and sighed softly.

"Can you walk?"

Again she nodded and got up with him supporting her. "Thanks for taking care of me," she murmured.

"Don't mention it," he smiled warmly at her. "Now come on, I believe the others are looking for a troll cave. We wouldn't want to miss that".

Eruanna laughed quietly and they began the walk back to the others, his arm supporting her the whole way.

When Fili and Eruanna emerged from the tree line Bilbo smiled. How were they so oblivious to each other's feelings? Fili was so patient and attentive, while Eruanna laughed and smiled back at him.

"You see it too," said Ori from behind him.

Bilbo looked back at the dwarf and frowned. "See what?"

"I think you know," the dwarf looked back at the couple now joining them and smiled knowingly.

Xxx

The large cave was dark and smelt terrible. Eruanna screwed up her face as she and only half of the dwarves entered therein. Gandalf led the way with Thorin close behind him. Eruanna followed them with Fili by her side, watching her as if she were so frail that she'd collapse any moment.

While she knew her sister would find this irritating after a time, Eruanna found it quite comforting to know that someone was watching over her.

Inside the cave they found a few small piles of gold coins and some other riches as well. Several of the dwarves had a quiet conversation about how much of a shame it would be to leave it lying around and they agreed to bury it for later.

Eruanna watched in amusement as Gloin yelled for Nori to get a shovel so that they could bury the treasure.

Thorin was over by one of the walls when Eruanna turned back around and he was inspecting a beautiful sword.

"These were not made by any troll," Thorin took the blade and weighed it in his hands.

"Nor by men," Eruanna added, paying attention to the beautiful patterns engraved into the metal.

"These swords were forged by the great high elves of the First Age," Gandalf noted in admiration.

Thorin looked disgusted and was about to put the sword back when Gandalf stopped him. "You could not wish for a finer blade!"

Thorin hesitated and took the sword in his hands once more. His eyes flickered to Eruanna and she glared proudly back at him.

"It is a beautiful sword, Thorin," she spoke seriously. "Worthy of a king".

His eyebrows rose in surprise but he did not put it back. Instead he sheathed it and continued to investigate further into the cave.

**Please feel free to leave me a review to tell me what you thought or ask me random questions :P Thanks for reading and I hope you liked the chapter :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while but after the holidays ended I didn't really get much time to write. This chapter has been written for a while now but I needed to do a bit of editing. There'll still be mistakes because there always are, but I'm sure you can handle that. **

**Songs I used for this chapter:**

**Halo, The words, Bleeding love and Beneath you beautiful. I don't know if anyone reads or cares about this but I find music helps set the mood, especially when it comes to a bit of drama and feels.**

**Enjoy! ;)**

**xxx**

Once they exited the cave the company gathered to wait for their leader's command. Gandalf presented Bilbo with a small sword and Eruanna smiled. It suited him well. Bilbo Baggins the warrior.

Fili sat down on a rock and gestured for her to sit with him. She carefully took a seat beside him and he wound and arm around her shoulders. Unsure what to do she let him pull her closer and she rested her head against his chest at an awkward angle.

This did not go unnoticed by Thorin and he approached them after only a few moments. "Are you able to continue now, Eruanna?"

She nodded and slowly pulled herself out of Fili's embrace. "I'm ready".

"Then let's go," Gandalf nodded to her and she smiled.

They had barely walked twenty paces before Thorin yelled for them all to stop. A faint rumbling sound echoed through the forest and they all stopped to listen. "Something's coming!" Thorin bellowed.

"Let's go!" one of the dwarves yelled and they all ran as fast as they could. Eruanna enjoyed the feeling of the air rushing past her face once more and she sped up. Fili watched her and grinned as the elf regained her energy.

Unfortunately, this burst of freedom was short-lived when Thorin and Gandalf stopped abruptly, causing everyone behind them to crash into one another. Eruanna looked around the traffic and quickly raced to the front to join Gandalf. There she was greeted by yet another familiar face as she approached the front of the group.

"Radagast!" she exclaimed a little too happily for Thorin's taste.

"Miss Eruanna!" he greeted her just as enthusiastically. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm part of this company," she gestured to the dwarves behind her.

"Are they helping in the search for your sister?" he asked and Eruanna could practically feel Thorin glaring at her back. "Dear Aranel. I wasn't supposed to tell you, but she passed by not a week ago in search of assistance".

Eruanna's heart leapt in her chest and she grinned despite her best efforts to contain herself. "She's alive?"

Radagast nodded. "She was not a week past. I believe she has been occupied in Rohan of late".

"Rohan?" Eruanna laughed in disbelief, "What business could have taken her there?"

Radagast thought for a moment and then shrugged. "She did not say, but she is no longer there".

"You may just find her yet," Kili laughed and threw an arm around her middle.

This didn't seem to please Fili, but he hid it well as he took her hand in his and squeezed it.

Eruanna turned and smiled down at the brothers. Was it possible? Would her quest really be over so quickly?

"I hope so," she whispered quietly.

Thorin stepped forward with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. "And what then? Will you honour the contract you were so quick to sign? Or will you go with her?"

Anger boiled up inside her, but Eruanna held herself in a position of perfect calm as she replied. "My deals are always honoured. When I give my word, it is not given lightly. You may still believe that elves are heartless, but we are loyal".

Thorin snorted and turned away. "You know nothing of honour".

Eruanna was about to spit back a hurtful remark when howls filled the air. They all stopped and silence fell like a sheet overhead and encompassed them.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked fearfully. "A wolf? Are there wolves out here?"

He looked imploringly up at Eruanna, but she kept her gaze fixed on the bushes ahead of her as she reached back for her bow. "No, not wolves".

Carefully pulling an arrow from her quiver, she notched it and waited as the sounds of heavy footfalls grew nearer. They were close, very close. There had to be at least two of them nearby from what she could tell.

She heard its growl before she saw it. The large beast launched itself from the cover of the trees and leapt at Nori. The dwarf himself was frozen in shock as the creature fell dead at his feet, by Eruanna's hand.

Another approached from behind Thorin and before it had a chance to strike, an arrow was imbedded in its neck. Thorin spun and delivered a death blow before its paws could even touch the ground once more.

He spat at the Warg and pulled his sword from its skull. "Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack cannot be far behind!"

Bilbo's eyes widened and he rushed to Eruanna's side. "An orc pack?"

She nodded. "It makes sense. Those two were only sent ahead to lead the rest to us".

"But why are they hunting us?" Kili asked.

Gandalf rounded on Thorin. "Who did you tell about your quest?"

"No one!" Thorin spat back.

"Who?!"

"No one! I swear to you! What in Durin's name is going on here?!" Thorin yelled.

Eruanna dropped quickly to the ground and placed her ear to the soil. She could hear the distant rumble of at least ten more Wargs approaching fast. Fili met her eyes and she quickly got back on her feet and turned to Thorin. "You're being hunted. We cannot stay here".

"How"—

"They'll be upon us any moment." Eruanna cut him off and turned on the spot as she tried to pinpoint which direction the riders would approach from.

"Then come on! We have to go!" Bilbo urged.

"Agreed," Eruanna nodded. "There are too many of them to fight alone".

"But how do we escape?" Ori asked. "Our ponies have bolted".

The elf's heart sank. In the rush of being attacked, she had forgotten all about her horse. She hoped that no harm would come to any of the animals, but there was nothing she could do about it if something had happened.

"We have to run!" Gandalf yelled. "Follow me!" he ran and the rest of the company all shot off after him.

Xxx

They raced over the rocky landscape and hid behind the jagged ledges and boulders as they went. Radagast was doing a good job of distracting the orcs as none of them seemed to have realised that the company was getting away.

Every now and then they would take a short break to rest and catch their breath. "Are you alright?" Fili panted as Eruanna sucked in another deep breath.

She smiled at him and laughed breathily. "I'm fine".

"Good," he leant over and released a puff of air from his mouth. "Right, I'm ready".

It didn't take too long for the others to get ready as well and they hurried once again through the rough countryside. Gandalf continued to lead them and Eruanna was getting a sneaking suspicion she knew where.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin voiced her question before she even had a chance. Gandalf did not answer but continued to lead the way towards the next boulder. This only strengthened Eruanna's resolve that Thorin would not like where they were headed.

An orc scout came into view on top of the ledge above them and Thorin nodded to Kili. Kili then notched his own arrow and shot both the Warg and its rider in turn. They fell to the company's feet and the dwarves stabbed viciously until both stopped moving. It was too late though and Eruanna knew it.

"Gandalf!" she called and he nodded before continuing to run.

"Come on! Run!" he yelled and the company pelted after him.

In no time the Wargs surrounded them and they closed ranks. Thorin barked orders for them to attack and Eruanna and Kili obeyed without question. Between them, they managed to take out several Wargs before they realised that Gandalf had disappeared.

"Where is he?" Kili yelled.

"He has deserted us!" another dwarf spat angrily.

Eruanna shook her head. No matter how many times the world had deceived her; she knew that Gandalf wouldn't abandon them. He just wasn't one of those people.

But no matter what sort of person he was, he wasn't there protecting them and they had to do something. Eruanna unsheathed her sword and ran at one of the orcs. Metal clashed as he fought back and she thought she heard the sound of someone yelling for her before a piercing pain coursed through her and she collapsed. Her vision blurred and she drifted in and out of consciousness as the sounds of more yelling and clashing metal met her ears.

Was she dying? Yes, that must have been it. Her eyelids became heavy and she closed them once more. As soon as she did so it was as if someone had locked a door and she couldn't open them again. She pushed against the dead weight of those tiny folds of skin, but to no avail.

She cried out in pain again and watched as the darkness around her turned into a vision. It wasn't her life flashing before her eyes like men described it. No, this was what happened to an elf when they died. A small vision of a future she may have had. It was torture. She'd never understood why it occurred, but it was a great honour to be a survivor living with a glimpse of a possible future.

This triggered the determination deep inside of her and she fought back the pain and concentrated on the world forming around her.

She could smell that familiar fresh scent of the shire and she looked over to see Bilbo sitting on the bench nearby. His face was aged but a little and a small tree was growing in his front garden. She smiled fondly at the small sapling, knowing that one day it would become a mighty oak.

Bilbo smiled and glanced over to her as familiar laughter filled the air and Fili came over the rise with a small child on his shoulders. The young girl had his long sandy hair, but her face was more angular and her stature taller.

A strange feeling stirred in her stomach as she realised that she was looking at her daughter. Their daughter. Tears prickled in her eyes and a small giggle slipped from her lips. Could it be possible? Was that what was waiting for her when she woke up? If it wasn't, did she even want to wake up?

Fili carefully opened the little gate to the yard and made his way over to her. He looked only a little older and his beard was still braided the same way, but his clothing told all who looked, of his lineage. The dark blue tunic he wore and the impressively forged armour let Eruanna know that they had been successful. The quest had been prosperous. Did that mean that Thorin was king? Was he happy as well? Was Aranel with him or would they never find her?

The little girl stole her attention automatically and her eyes were drawn straight away to her daughter's eyes. The younger, round brown eyes that mirrored hers so well. Her hair was another story. The sandy blonde locks extruding from her scalp perfectly matched those of her father.

Fili's smile broadened and he leant forward to kiss her as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She hesitated for a moment before leaning forward herself and pulling him closer. If she didn't survive, then she at least wanted to know what it was like to experience a kiss with someone she loved.

He seemed a little shocked by her enthusiasm, but kissed her back keenly. Neither of them wanted to pull away, until the little girl kicked her father in the chest.

"Have you got a kiss for your mother?" Fili asked the little girl and Eruanna's heart swelled with happiness. His voice washed over her and warmed her while the ghost of his kiss made her feel like she had finally found a home. There was an almost overwhelming sense of safety about everything she could see and touch.

"Yes!" she squealed and wiggled excitedly.

"Easy Aranel," Fili laughed as he pulled the little girl down to hold in his arms.

Eruanna froze. She had named her daughter after her sister? Why would she—

"Are you alright?" Fili asked quietly.

She quickly snapped out of her quiet panic attack and pressed a quick kiss to the little girl's head. "Of course I am. You always ask me that".

Fili rolled his eyes. "That might be because I care about my wife and I love her, as I've said many times over".

Eruanna grinned broadly. "That doesn't mean I don't like hearing it".

He shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Aranel wiggled free from his arms and rushed over to harass the relaxing Bilbo. Eruanna watched on with a smile on her face at the perfect little paradise she had discovered. Perhaps those elves were right. Perhaps it really was an honour to know what you were fighting for.

Xxx

The darkness returned around her and she lost the happy faces of her new family. It was strange, but she didn't know which she preferred. Did she want to be stuck in a world that she would spend the whole time wishing it was real? Or did she want to just sink into the darkness, to be forgotten by the world?

Would Fili be happy without her? Would he forget her after she was gone and buried?

She scoffed at her own ignorance. Of course he would be. He was going to be the king of Erebor. He would soon forget her once she was gone...but why wasn't she gone? Why was she stuck in between the two?

With one last push of determination not to accept her fate, she tried to open her eyes one last time. It was like the final blow of a battering-ram as her eyes snapped open and she blinked rapidly. Bright light filled her vision and she squinted. It wasn't her imagination. She wasn't gone, not yet.

The room slowly came into focus and her eyes flickered about the room. She observed the sweeping wooden structural designs and the soft colours of the walls and she knew where she was. There was only one place in the whole of Middle Earth that was quite like that.

"Eruanna?" a familiar voice called to her from her right and she groaned a little as she moved her stiff joints to turn a little in the bed.

"Gandalf," she rasped. "We're in Rivendell?"

The old wizard nodded. "And what of the others? Fili, Kili, Thorin...are they all alright?"

"They're fine," Gandalf smiled broadly and nodded. "Though perhaps a little tired of elven hospitality".

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked quickly, trying to sit up in bed. This fast action only made her head spin and she sat back against the pillows as her head swirled.

"Don't trouble yourself," Gandalf placed a hand on her shoulder. "You took quite a blow for the protection of the company. This is only the third time you have been conscious since your injury three days ago".

"Third time? But Gandalf, I wasn't awake. I was...unconscious. I saw what could happen if I survive".

"Ah, yes of course. I suppose the appearance of consciousness may have just been a reaction to the medicine Lord Elrond was giving you". He trailed off thoughtfully and they both sat in silence for a few minutes.

Eruanna moved slowly beneath the sheets and tried to sit up once more. Her strength was returning quickly and she only winced a little at the pain still present in her side. It wasn't hurting as much as just aching. A reminder that she was not invincible.

"I suppose I'm getting a taste of what it's like to be my sister," Eruanna chuckled softly.

Gandalf shook his head. "Oh no, Eruanna, you were very lucky in your injury. You were not nearly as close to death as your sister has been".

"Do you really think I'll ever find her?" Eruanna whispered.

"We can only hope," Gandalf smiled and he had that mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Xxx

Faster, she must go faster. An elf sat upon a black horse as it raced across the countryside. Lord Elrond had sent word of a company of dwarves crossing into their borders and of an injured elf among them. Very rarely did the elf ever listen to the Lord, but this once she had to make an exception.

Regret and worry coursed through her as she thought of the injured elf. How had it happened? Was she still in danger? Nevertheless she needed to go to her. It had been far too long since they had spoken. To brave the journey to Rivendell was worth every risk if it was indeed too late to save her.

The wind blew violently and the sun warmed her pale skin. Her cloak had blown back to expose her face and her long brown hair swirled wildly in the wind. Her face was fixed with a mask of determination, hiding the worry inside. Her blue eyes were icy and hard. The years of death and grief they'd seen had made them cold, cold and strong.

Within no time she was approaching the valley of Imladris. She halted her horse to gaze down at its splendour before hurrying down the slope. Even more guilt filled her as she approached the city. The last time she was here she had been injured. That was years ago and yet she could still remember her sister's happy face when she awoke, having been healed and nursed back to health.

She touched a hand to that particular scar and smiled. Every scar was a memory, but some were not nightmares. Some were happy.

As she skidded to a halt in the courtyard there were loud voices from the stairs. The elf raised her head to see several dwarves coming down the stairs.

"What is the meaning of this?!" one with long ginger hair and beard called to her.

"What business is it of yours?" she replied coolly and dismounted her horse with ease.

"Gloin!" a heartbreakingly familiar voice scolded and the elf looked up the stairs and once more into the eyes of Thorin Oakenshield. "This place is crawling with elves, why does this one in particular cause you to be yelling at this hour of the morning?"

The elf bowed to the king and pulled back her hood once more. Blue met blue but neither let on any hint of recognition. "Forgive me. I was not aware that the city was under the watch of dwarves".

Thorin watched the elf with curiosity. She was much like any other elf really, but her appearance was much wilder. Her hair was tangled, her face was flushed and her eyes were far colder than any elf he'd ever met. Several scars were visible on her porcelain skin, even from a distance.

"And where do you arrive from?" he asked with surprising civility.

"That is my business. News of a wounded elf among dwarves reached my ears. Please, take me to her?"

A younger brown haired dwarf stepped forward then. He had no beard and shorter hair. He was young. She could almost smell the inexperience on him. Yet despite his youthfulness he spoke with much conviction.

"Why do you wish to see her?" he asked more out of curiosity than anger and suspicion.

The elf sighed. "Please. I must see her".

"What is your intent?" Thorin called as he descended the last few stairs.

"Are you pestering this young elf?" Gandalf's voice rang over all of the others.

Thorin spun around and glared at him. "She wishes to be taken to a member of our company. I hardly think we should let her without knowing her intentions".

Gandalf scoffed and made his way down the stairs to take the elf's hand. "How was your journey, my dear?"

The elf's face changed at that point to what the dwarves assumed was a smile. Her features changed and her eyes brightened. The scars on her face were still present, but much less prominent.

"It was as to be expected, Gandalf," she replied quietly. "Would you now be so kind as to take me to her? I cannot give anything else my attention until I am assured of her condition".

The dwarves all looked at each other and the same red-haired one as before called out. "What are you, her mother?"

The elf turned to him with hard eyes once more. "No, but she is my kin".

The younger dwarf from before gasped and stepped forward once more. "You're her sister, aren't you?"

"Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf turned to the dwarf king. "Allow me introduce Aranel, sister of Eruanna".

The group of dwarves erupted in an uproar of angry remarks and Aranel winced as insults were hurled at her. "Gandalf, we don't have time for this".

Gandalf nodded and escorted her through the throng quickly. Thorin was the only one not yelling and when they passed he just fixed her with an odd look.

Once they were a safe distance from the dwarves, Gandalf turned to Aranel. "Your sister is not yet awake. I suggest you wait somewhere quiet for her to recover. Dwarves are fiercely protective of their own. They will not hesitate to harm anyone who poses any threat to a member of their company".

Aranel nodded. "Understood".

"I must go and speak with Lord Elrond. I will inform him of your arrival and make your apologies to him for not coming to meet him".

"Thank you, Gandalf," Aranel smiled up at him. "You are far too kind to me".

"You have done much for the good of us all, Aranel, the company and me included. I must ask you, do not tell Thorin of your identity until you believe he is ready. His trust is easily lost and not quickly regained".

"Yes, I know," Aranel agreed. "I will keep to the garden and you have my word. Thorin Oakenshield will remain ignorant until he is ready to know the truth".

Gandalf nodded to her and turned to leave. She looked after him for a moment before turning away herself and heading towards the waterfall. Whenever she came to Rivendell that was where she'd go. It was the only place she found any solitude among the elves of Rivendell. They were not her family; they had merely taken care of her sister.

Eruanna had gone looking for her after she had heard of her betrayal. Lost and confused, she had finally come to Imladris and Lord Elrond had taken her under his wing. For this Aranel was glad, for she was not suited to help her younger sister. This was why she detested the company of even these elves. They all knew who she was and what she had done. Disobeying orders from her king had been easy, but leaving her sister had not. Most of them condemned her for the latter, but she still felt that she was known as the disobedient elf. The scarred elf.

Down by the bridge she saw the outline of a man pacing. It was too late for her to turn and leave, but she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to another man, particularly a dwarf. As she approached, he turned and stopped to look at her.

"Forgive me," she turned to leave but he called out to her.

"No, stop," he spoke in a friendlier voice than most of the other dwarves.

He slowly walked over to her and took her hand in greeting. "I'm Fili".

Aranel nodded. "You are one of the dwarves".

"Yes," he nodded. "My Uncle Thorin leads our company".

"Then you know Eruanna," she stated flatly.

Again he nodded. "Why? Is there any news of her condition? I would have you tell me as soon as there is any change".

She smiled and turned to look at the waterfall. "I haven't seen her yet. She's still asleep".

He followed her over and they both stood before the flowing water. "And who are you to seek audience with her?"

"I'm her sister," Aranel replied with the same calmness as one would have when talking about the weather. "If you wish to yell at me, do it now. Your company have already told me what they think of me. Anything you say will be nothing I haven't heard before".

Fili stared at the elf beside him. He was speechless. After all of time that Eruanna had spent looking for her sister, here she was. He was angry. But perhaps Eruanna wouldn't be. Obviously there had been something keeping Aranel away or she would have been with her, with them.

"I don't really want to yell at you," he frowned a little. "I just want to know why you've stayed away from her for so long."

Aranel turned to him and the light caught the scars on her cheek and forehead. Her eyes softened a little as she observed him and he felt strangely uncomfortable under her gaze.

"I've been busy. Middle Earth is not as safe as it once was. The wizards instructed us to watch over the land. My time has not been my own".

"Where would you have been if you had gone off on your own?"

Her eyes hardened just a little. "I was alone. If I didn't have a duty I would have headed for the Blue Mountains".

"The Blue Mountains?" Fili asked in interest. "Why would you go there?"

Aranel shrugged her shoulders and turned away. "I was hoping that perhaps I may still have one friend there, but I guess I was mistaken".

Fili nodded and tried to resist bombarding the elf with questions. "So...do you think that Eruanna will wake up soon?"

"Yes, I think so," Aranel nodded. "This is her first serious wound. I'm surprised it took her this long to recover. Perhaps she likes the other world too much".

"Other world?"

"When an elf is dying they get a glimpse of one of the many possible futures ahead of them. For some they hold a family and a happy life, for others there is nothing but peril and death. It is only a possible future though, so for some it is just a torturous reminder of what will happen if they fail".

"Have you ever seen it? Your future? Do you know what's coming for you?"

Aranel chuckled darkly and shook her head. "I've seen so many possibilities for my future that it makes my head ache. But I remember each and every one, so that I may stop things from happening".

"So you've come close to death before?"

"Many times," Aranel nodded her head slowly. "That in itself is enough reason for me to stay away from her. Would you have her risk her life like I risk mine? Would you condone such recklessness?"

"Of course not, but I do understand why she would feel hurt by your leaving all of the time," he added bravely. Something told him that this particular elf was not one he wanted to cross. She was strong, with over eight hundred years of experience behind her. Something that neither he nor even his uncle would ever have.

"I tried to keep my distance as much as I possibly could, even before I was forced to leave our home. I wanted to keep us separated because I knew what was coming. I'd seen that dragon before and I knew what would happen if I did not help".

"You saved my uncle".

She smiled a little at that. "Yes. He was younger then, but no less stubborn. He does not know that it was I that saved his life and I that fought alongside him when he took Azog's arm".

"Then why not tell him?" Fili pressed. "Why not let him know?"

"Because he is not ready"—

"He looked for you!" the dwarf exclaimed before he could help himself. "He wanted to know what had happened to you".

Aranel's face hardened and yet even Fili could see a small crack in the mask. A very small chink of light shone through like a beckon of hope. Was that really all it took to crack her? Was she really that dependent on the good opinion of his uncle?

"He would've done well not to try. I don't know if I'll ever tell him".

"If you won't then I will".

Like lightning she forced him backwards and had a blade at his throat in seconds. "Don't even think about it," she hissed.

"You won't kill me," he growled back.

She pulled back and sheathed her blade. "No, I won't. I would never harm a dwarf".

Fili's eyebrows rose at that and Aranel recoiled at what she'd just admitted aloud. "I am going to my sister".

With that the strange elf was gone.

**xxx**

**So that's it for that chapter. Let me know what you thought of it as it helps me out a lot. Honestly, if you have anything to say at all, even insults. The next chapter is written and will probably be up by the end of the week. I have exams before then and I still have to edit so it might take a while. **

**Thanks for reading once more! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! Just a little note before you go ahead: this chapter is mostly about character development, as are the next few so there'll be a lot of seemingly slow character/relationship building with both Aranel and Eruanna. There is also more fiction within this fiction. Without spoiling things: the Galadriel part is made up by me. I have no idea if she would be able to do that and I have no idea if Aranel would've been able to in the first place (you'll see what I mean). Anyway, it's pretty much unedited so if there are ridiculous mistakes within, they are all my own. **

**Happy reading! :)**

**xxx**

Aranel approached the door to Eruanna's room slowly. Now that she knew what awaited her she felt strangely fearful. Her sister may not even want to see her, and what would she do then? Would she leave and continue her work, or would she break her own character and become more like her sister? Eruanna would never take no for an answer if she truly believed her way would help more, but Aranel preferred to refuse the help offered to her and do the task herself. That way she had no responsibility over anyone else's actions and if someone was injured or killed in the process, she could not be held accountable. That sounded horrible of her when she really thought about it, but one does not survive in the wild as long as she had by being kind.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and slipped carefully inside. Gandalf looked up and smiled from his position beside the bed and Aranel nodded. Her eyes flickered over the sleeping form of her sister and she couldn't help but feel a little better. She looked the same, if not a little battered. Still, that was nothing a little medicine and rest wouldn't heal. Slowly, she moved to the side of the bed and lifted up the sheet. The side of her sister's stomach was exposed and a soft white bandage covered up the wound. Aranel peeled back the bandage and looked at the hole in her sister's side. There wasn't really any need for the bandage anymore in her opinion. The wound was almost completely healed, the only remnant being the fresh pinkish tinge of fresh skin.

"Will it scar?" she asked quietly.

Gandalf nodded. "It was too deep to heal over completely".

"Shame," Aranel sighed and gently replaced the bandage. "I had hoped that she would never have to worry about her skin being marked".

"Oh, it won't be bad," Gandalf shook his head. "You have suffered much worse at the hands of a child".

Aranel's face hardened. "A wildling child. It's hardly a laughing matter that the first time I let my guard down for a child, she stabs me in the back, quite literally".

"Still, you cannot expect Eruanna's injury to leave any serious reminders".

"No...I suppose it just looks wrong on her skin because it is so clear and flawless," Aranel stated absentmindedly.

"If you envy her I wonder why you did not take better care of your own skin. You could have healed many of those wounds properly and yet you've allowed these scars to be left".

Aranel chuckled softly. "But they aren't scars to me anymore. They are my memories. Each new mark is another victory. Another battle I have lived through".

Gandalf nodded and took out his pipe. "And what of Thorin, will you speak with him?"

"You told me I should not," Aranel replied quickly.

"But that does not mean you always listen to me," he replied slyly.

The elf smiled warmly at the wizard. "I took your advice to heart, Gandalf. I know that he must not know, but I also know that it is not him that you think of when you make such a request".

A knock at the door made both of them start and they watched on as Fili entered the room with an awkward wave to both of them. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see how she was. It's been days, Gandalf".

The old wizard chuckled. "Yes, I know. It's difficult to separate you two at the best of times".

Fili smiled as walked over to stand beside the bed. "Is she healed?"

"Almost," Aranel spoke from beside him. "She should awaken very soon now".

"Oh, she already has," Gandalf nodded enthusiastically. "Not half an hour ago".

Both Fili and Aranel let out a breath of relief. "You could have told me".

"And have you trying to wake her?"

Fili laughed at the look of consternation on the elf's face. "So she is alright though?"

"Yes of course," Gandalf replied heartily.

Aranel nodded and looked towards the door. "I think that I best return later when she has had more rest and is in a better position to see visitors". Without another word she rushed across the room and out of the door.

"Does she not want to see her sister?" Fili questioned.

"More likely that she does not want her sister to see her," Gandalf replied gravely. "She is worried that her sister will not accept her. Which is preposterous to us, but we cannot be too hard on poor Aranel. She has been through a lot these past few years and it is hardly surprising that she has forgotten what it is to experience the kindness of others, even her own sister's".

"It must be difficult to live in a world where you can't see the light. Where there is no kindness or love".

"Oh there isn't no love in her life. For Aranel there are two lights guiding her through the darkness, without which she would most likely have joined the forces of evil by now".

"And they are Eruanna and my uncle?" Fili murmured.

Gandalf nodded. "Indeed they are. Strong symbols of strength and love to keep the darkness at bay".

"But has my uncle ever shown her any love?"

"Not that I am aware," Gandalf shook his head, "but that doesn't mean she cannot love him".

Before Fili could reply he was distracted by Eruanna rolling over in bed. His eyes lit up and he grinned broadly. "Is it too early to wake her?"

"She has already been awake, master dwarf. If you intend to wake her then it will simply be a matter of achieving it".

Fili laughed softly. "What do you think about a dish of camomile?"

"A bright idea," Gandalf agreed and Fili leapt out of his seat in search of the ingredients he needed. Amongst the vast and frankly very impressive collection of herbs and other remedies, he found the camomile and took a cup and filled it with the heated water that had no doubt been sent up earlier that morning. It wasn't quite as hot as it could have been, but it seemed that the elvish vessels were quite good at containing the heat for as long as possible.

"This smells delightfully foul," he laughed quietly as he stirred the revolting brew and brought it over to the bed.

Once it was stirred to his satisfaction, he removed the strainer and picked up a silver spoon. "Eruanna, it's time for you medicine," he cooed as he brought the spoonful of liquid closer to her lips.

"Don't even think about it," her growl came out as a hushed whisper and both men laughed with gusto. "I was awoken by the smell of that horrid sludge the moment you started brewing it".

Fili looked innocently down at her and grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," she sat up slowly and looked around. "Was someone else in here earlier?"

Fili looked at Gandalf and the wizard merely smiled at the young elf. "Why yes, but that is another conversation for another time. Do you require anything else while we are here?"

She shook her head slowly. "Where are the others?"

Fili chuckled softly. "They're sitting down in the room we were given to sleep in. You elves don't seem to eat any meat and that's getting to them a little bit".

"I can imagine it would," she laughed quietly. "They will want to move on soon".

"I think they wanted that the moment they arrived here," Fili shook his head. "No, you just take your time recovering". He took a hand and used it to pull back some tangles of hair from her forehead. It reminded him very much of the fact that she and Aranel were sisters. How different they were and yet how similar.

"Fili?" Eruanna whispered sleepily. "Do you think you could stay here with me for a while?"

The dwarf smiled. "I won't move a muscle".

Xxx

Aranel wandered aimlessly down the familiar walkways of Rivendell. Eruanna was fine. There really wasn't any reason for her stay. She could leave and Eruanna would never have to know that she was there at all.

This seemed like a good plan until she thought about Thorin. It had been a long time since she had caught more than a glimpse of him and now she had the opportunity to be near him without needing an explanation. Was it so wrong of her to put seeing him above seeing her own sister? Her sister was grown and quite independent while she still worried about Thorin constantly. Eruanna had a good knowledge of the wild places of the world from her adventures when trying to find Aranel. But Thorin...she had seen his death too many times to trust anyone with his life, not even him.

"Aranel?" a voice called behind her and she turned slowly to see a messenger coming towards her. "There is someone waiting to see you".

She rolled her eyes, but followed him all the same. "Must you always be so cryptic? Who wishes to speak with me?"

The elf laughed. "The same as ever, I see. The one who seeks an audience with you is Lady Galadriel herself. I don't know what you did this time, Aranel, but you'd best be careful".

Aranel scoffed. "The Lady of light does not frighten me. If anything I have a great respect for her".

"I am very surprised to hear anything of the sort come from your mouth, Aranel".

"Why should you be? Just because I am not bound to anyone by contract does not mean I have no respect left".

"Perhaps you may have respect for the dwarves, but it surprises me greatly that you have any respect for us at all".

"Then you have been foolishly misled by your own interpretations".

"And your actions," he stopped outside a door and gestured for her to enter. "Until next time, Aranel".

The elf in question smirked. "Thank you, Drevin".

She let out a quiet puff of air before entering the room. It was large, beautiful and brightly lit by the daylight streaming in the archway to the balcony. Aranel had always been more impressed by the engineering and skill behind dwarvish buildings, but she could not deny the excellent craftsmanship of that room in particular. It seemed like the kind of place only reserved for very important people, not a common elf such as her.

"Aranel," the soft voice of the Lady floated in from the balcony and Aranel found herself drawn forward without meaning to be.

"My lady," she bowed low and Galadriel fixed her with one of her sweet smiles. For some reason, that smile had always made Aranel uneasy. She did not doubt the Lady elf's motives were pure, but that sort of kindness was a stranger to her. The openness of it, at least.

"It has been far too long since we have spoken to one another," the elf stated smoothly and Aranel waited for her to continue. When she didn't continue Aranel awkwardly nodded.

"Yes, it has been some years".

"And yet you have not changed at all," Galadriel smiled fondly. "Perhaps you have more scars, but that is merely your body. I believe that inside, your heart is pure and hopeful".

Aranel stood rooted to the spot as Galadriel placed a hand on her cheek. "Why did you wish to speak to me?"

"You are like a daughter to me, Aranel. I merely wanted to see you and to offer you my help".

"Your help with what?" Aranel asked curiously.

Galadriel seemed to have not heard her as she touched a hand to the chain around Aranel's neck. She knew what was hanging on the chain before she had even reached it and Aranel tensed as her fingers closed around the cold glass.

"This was foolish, Aranel. The power used to do this was dark".

"I wanted it gone," Aranel hissed.

"But not anymore?"

"No," Aranel shook her head.

"Love is a gift to us, Aranel. To pay a black-hearted man to remove it from you is unspeakable".

"Well, I've done it now and it had no effect. This is barely a token," she gestured to the small bottle.

"But it is not. To make that creation work you had to have given him a hair from the head of both yourself and from Thorin Oakenshield. The liquid in that bottle is powerful and although I do not understand how, I will try to help in any way I can". Before Aranel could say another word, Galadriel had taken the bottle in the palm of her hand and bright light was streaming from her hand.

Aranel averted her eyes until the light faded and she looked down to see the bottle was still in Galadriel's hand, but the colour of the liquid was brighter than before.

"What did you do?" Aranel asked quietly as she took the bottle in hand.

"From now on the liquid inside this bottle will glow when you are closest to the thing you want the most".

"But what good will that do if I go with the company?"

"So you're considering it?"

"Considering it? I must go with them if they'll let me. I've been away from him too long".

Galadriel nodded, but there was sadness in her eyes when she turned to face the horizon once more. "It does not seem fair that you were destined to love a mortal. I will always be sorry for it".

Aranel looked out across the landscape ahead of them and a thought struck her. She didn't belong there. She didn't belong in Rivendell any more than she belonged in Mirkwood. Perhaps she was never meant to reside in either, though that was fine with her. But it did raise the question of where she was supposed to be. Was she destined to live in the wild her entire life?

"But I won't," Aranel spoke up suddenly and the other elf turned to her in surprise. "You know me well enough to know that I don't give up on something that means a lot to me. While Thorin may never care for me like I do him, the least I can do is protect him".

Galadriel smiled warmly. "I admire your readiness, but I must warn you, Aranel. Thorin is mortal. This means that no matter how long you try to prolong his life, there will come a day when the sun will set and he will pass into legend".

"Sometimes I wish I were mortal," Aranel bowed her head and sighed. "It would be a lot less painful to see those I care about leave without me".

"But your sister will not. From what I hear she is also rather close to one of the dwarves. Do not let her become like you, Aranel. Do not allow her heart to be filled with bitter resentment".

"I will try for her sake, but if she is in love with him then there is nothing I can do to aid her. No length of separation will stop it. I know that now".

"Then you must both tread on with care. Keep that bottle close to you and you will realise why I did what I did".

"Thank you," Aranel smiled and bowed.

Galadriel smiled and pulled her into an awkward hug. "Be careful, Aranel".

"I will try". Aranel turned and retreated from the room as quickly as possible. Once she was down the corridor she took out the bottle and looked at it. The liquid was now a milky white, but when she got close to the thing she wanted the most it would glow. She already knew what she wanted the most, so why did Galadriel seem to think she would need it? The answer didn't really matter since everything Galadriel said, she said for a reason.

xxx

**So that part with Galadriel was completely from my own imagination. I have no idea if any of that would be possible in Middle Earth, but for the sake of the story let's pretend it is. Anyway, let me know what you thought as it helps me out a lot and I'll update soon...hopefully :)**


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